Always
by sue273
Summary: When Jasper meets a gorgeous Edward in a coffee bar he is instantly attracted to him. That is until he starts to talk and move and Jasper immediately has second thoughts
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of the Twilight characters. They still belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**Please do not read this story if you are under eighteen or are offended by descriptions of male intimacy.**

**Chapter One**

"_Always I want to be with you,_

_Make believe with you,_

_Live in harmony . . ."_

_**Always by Erasure**_

For a split second, I thought I'd finally found him—the man of my dreams.

As he sat smiling with his friends, I took in his tousled copper hair. His emerald eyes glinted lighting up his face, and his... jaw. Holy jawporn!

As he moved and talked, I realized he was far too... what can I say?

His mannerisms were too effeminate for me.

He was definitely gay.

Very obviously gay.

Far too camp.

An out-and-out queen, in fact.

Not my type at all.

His hand movements and the way he flipped his head to the side and lifted up that chiseled jaw were just so flamboyant.

"Jasper," Emmett called, drawing my attention away from his beautiful face. "I'm so glad you could make it tonight. Everyone, this is Jasper. He's in my History class this term."

I walked towards the group of guys seated around the large table in a booth in this rather rundown coffee shop.

"Let me introduce you to the gang, Jasper. This is Riley." He pointed to the person furthest from me. "This is Jake and this is Seth."

"Hi, guys!" I glanced in their direction. "Pleased to meet you all."

"And this is Edward," Emmett said, rather dramatically drawing my attention back to definitely the hottest guy in the room. "He's my younger brother, but because he's so brainy he moved up a year in high school and has come here to university with me."

"Hello, sweetie," he drawled, taking my hand in his. "So pleased you could join us tonight, Jasper." He kissed my hand before shuffling over on the bench to make room for me and tapped the seat next to him.

"Sit next to me, honey." His voice was slow and unexpectedly deep.

I couldn't think of an excuse not to rapidly enough, so I slunk along next to him and Emmett sat down in the space next to me.

"So Jasper, where are you from? I detect a hint of southern twang in your sexy voice." Edward tilted his head towards me.

Before I could answer, Emmett chimed, "I told you to leave the boy alone. Don't scare him off."

"Just being friendly, bro." Edward huffed and lifted his chin away from his brother.

I could handle myself. I'd dealt with a lot worse than Edward before. "Yeah, I'm from Texas originally, but spent some time in Jacksonville and Chicago in my early and mid-teens."

Edward smiled at me and then raised an eyebrow at his brother in defiance.

I found it difficult to take my eyes off him. He was good-looking and despite his over-the-top mannerisms, there was something about him that kept drawing my attention back to him. He played with the collar of his rather loud and slightly too patterned shirt. He had some sort of scarf knotted around his neck and I noticed a single diamond stud in one of his ears when his extremely long fingers went to run through his hair.

"So, beautiful, you're going to major in History, then?" Edward said, his eyes alight with genuine interest.

"Yep, it's always been a favorite subject of mine. How about all of you?" I tried to open up the conversation to include everyone seated around the table.

Emmett took the lead. "These three are all taking Math and Physics." He nodded to the guys facing us.

"Music and Literature are my subjects, darling. I'm the creative one," Edward interrupted his brother. Obviously some kind of playful rivalry existed between the two of them and I was now playing 'piggy in the middle'.

Emmett had invited me here for a reason, and if it wasn't to meet Edward, had he intended to set me up with one of the three guys opposite who were now staring intently at me? Or was Emmett interested in asking me out on a date?

I swallowed and tried to remain calm. Emmett had been the one to seek me out in the lecture theatre, his 'gaydar' zooming in on me, and he'd introduced himself within minutes of sitting down. I thought he was just being friendly and welcoming with his invite to meet 'like-minded' students for coffee.

Emmett was definitely not my type. He reminded me of a beefy ex-boyfriend who had become too possessive and too controlling. I hadn't seen the similarity until now. And his brother, who was currently sitting a little too close for comfort, was not my type either, despite his ravishingly beautiful face.

I leant forward and placed my arms on the table in an attempt to put some distance between my neck and Edward's fingers, which occasionally brushed the hair on the back of my neck.

I scanned the three faces sitting across from me just as the waitress came to take our order.

Jake was probably the one I'd choose if I was ever given a choice. His body was lean and the muscles bulged under his tight black t-shirt. His long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he had a glorious smile with dazzling white teeth. He hadn't said a lot yet, so I reserved my final judgment on him just for the moment.

Riley was sweet in his own way, but there was something a little creepy about his eyes. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was no instant chemistry between us.

Seth was cute, I suppose, as well as good-looking and seemed to have a wicked sense of humor. His razor-sharp quips cracked me up.

"And what would you like?" The waitress was looking to me.

"Oh, just a plain black coffee, please."

Edward nudged me. "He likes it strong... just like his men." He laughed and winked.

I shook my head and gazed down, my face flushing hot, and decided not to comment. I hoped he was just pulling my leg and having fun with me.

"So, who's up for a game of pool when we've had our coffees?" Emmett challenged, changing the subject.

We all nodded and voiced our agreement.

"I think I can bend over in these jeans." Edward wriggled on his backside unashamedly and I looked down at his lap. The denim was hugging his lower half very tightly. My eyes fixed on the bulge at the front for a few seconds longer than I should and only looked away when he leaned in close and whispered, "See something you like, Jasper?"

I blushed again and was fortunately saved from further embarrassment as the waitress arrived and served our coffees.

We all chatted amiably while sipping our drinks. These guys were certainly going to be fun to hang around with while I was at university. I hadn't managed to connect with any of the guys in my dorm as yet. I appeared to be the only gay male in our corridor and most of them had given me a wide berth.

"So, what do you say to three teams for pool?" Riley suggested.

"I'll go with Jake." Seth shifted closer to him.

"Emmett's usually my partner," Riley added.

"In more ways than one." Edward grinned. "So that leaves Jasper all for me, then."

"Just for pool, Edward, remember." Emmett's serious look also warned his brother.

"Well, that's entirely up to us, isn't it, Jasper?" Edward's eyes twinkled. "We'll play last. I've got to pop to the little boys' room."

So, as we all headed over to the pool table, Edward minced in the opposite direction.

"Sorry about Edward, Jasper. He gets a little exuberant when he's nervous or excited. He'll calm down a bit by the end of the evening," Emmett assured me.

I smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. I can handle him."

I perched myself on a nearby stool and watched as the two teams each took turns to take shots at the balls.

Edward soon returned and headed straight toward me. I took in his full appearance for the first time. He was tall, probably an inch or two higher than me. He was slim but with broad shoulders; his tight fitting shirt emphasized the shape of his chest. His skinny jeans hung low on his hips and his legs appeared to go on forever. God, he was gorgeous, and despite the way he walked, all swaying hips and limp wrist, I felt blood rushing south.

I closed my eyes briefly, trying to stem my sudden erection, as he perched on the stool next to me.

"You okay, honey?" His voice oozed concern. "Don't worry, I'm a perfect shot. We'll win, you'll see."

I shook my head slowly. If that was the only thing I had to worry about this evening. I wasn't really falling for Edward. He just wasn't my type, I told myself once more.

Emmett and Riley won the first game and Jake appeared to be a sore loser. Seth consoled him with a kiss and a cuddle, and as the night wore on, it became obvious these two guys were an item. I didn't feel any disappointment that Jake was already spoken for.

Edward and I played Emmett and Riley next.

"I'll break for us," Edward offered. As he leaned over the pool table, his shirt rode up his back, revealing a sprinkling of stars tattooed over his hip and across his lower back. Against his pale smooth skin, they stood out like stars in the Milky Way.

When he stood up to face me, I caught sight of a piercing through his belly button, and I wondered where else he might be tattooed or pierced.

As Edward predicted, we won this game and the next game against Jake and Seth. We were about to start the second round of games, when I saw a figure walk into the coffee shop. I had to do a second take just to make sure.

"Oh shit," I hissed rather too loudly, attracting my new friends' attention.

The color instantly drained from my face.

"What is it, sweetie?" Edward asked.

"Oh God, don't let him see me." I pulled Edward by his shirt so he was standing between my legs as I sat on the stool.

"Who are you talking about?" Edward whispered into my ear, sending a warm shiver down my spine.

"The guy who just walked in." My forehead rested against Edward's hard chest.

I felt Edward turn his head to look over his shoulder.

"The guy with the dirty blond hair scraped back into a short tail?"

"Yes, he's an ex of mine, in fact, a rather nasty ex-boyfriend. Edward, would you do me a favor?" I asked in my panic without really considering the consequences.

"Anything for you, babe."

"If he catches sight of me, can we pretend that we're together?"

Edward gave me a gentle smile. "No problem, honey."

I risked a peak over Edward's shoulder and froze when I saw him heading towards us.

Edward got the message, put his hands on my waist, and stepped a little closer. I looked up at him and blinked.

He reached up with his fingers and caressed my cheek before gliding down to my chin. He slowly lifted my face up so we were a matter of inches from each other. His pink tongue peaked out, and before I could stop him, his lips connected with mine. I surrendered to the moment and let my jaw go slack. Edward's warm yet soft lips moved softly over mine, and his moist tongue sought entrance into my mouth. I opened up for him and tentatively flicked my tongue over his. He hummed with pleasure I assumed, although he might just have been acting the part.

When we pulled apart, I opened my eyes to see another pair of dark eyes glaring at me.

"Jasper," he growled, "can I have a word with you... in private?"

"If you've got something to say, you can say it in front of me," Edward said in a tone I'd yet to hear him use.

"And all of us as well." Emmett stepped forward making his presence known.

"Okay... if that's the way you want it." My ex sneered. "Jasper, I've been looking for you these past few months. I wondered where you'd gone, and now I've finally found you, I want you to come home with me," he said in a familiar sweet voice. I'd learnt my lesson with him and didn't accept this pretence of niceness.

"We finished a long time ago and I'm not going anywhere with you ever again." I gritted my teeth.

"We just had a misunderstanding, Jasper. I promise you things will be better between us this time." He tried to smile and I remembered how he would have almost convinced me in the past, but not this time.

I sighed, but pulled Edward closer until I could feel his heart beating in his chest. He no doubt could feel mine pounding as well and my hands shaking as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"He's with me now." Edward held me tighter to his body.

Ignoring Edward, James looked at me. "You've got one chance, Jasper, before I start to get angry."

"I think you'd better leave now." Emmett snarled at him.

Jake stepped forward, too, and as he overshadowed James, he wisely retreated, turned and headed out of the door.

"That's the last we'll see of him." Jake beamed, but I was not entirely convinced. I collapsed in relief for now and my head rested on Edward's chest.

"Thanks for that," I muttered into his shirt.

"Anytime." Edward took a step back. "Are you sure you're okay, sweetie? He was a nasty piece of work. Whatever did you see in him?"

"He was really good to me at first and we got on well, but after a few months he got all possessive, and I saw a vicious side to him. Thank goodness I got out when I did. I don't know what would have happened if I would've stayed with him."

"You would've been a battered husband and another statistic."

Edward and I lost our next two games. Neither of us seemed to concentrate fully on the game. On my part, I'm not sure if it was due to my unexpected encounter with James or the fact that I wanted Edward to hold and kiss me again.

Edward seemed to quiet down, too, just as Emmett had predicted, but that didn't stop him starting to dance when the background music went up a few notches.

So, while the other two teams played their final games, I sat and watched Edward gyrating and singing to some cheesy love songs.

"Always, I want to be with you, make believe with you, live in harmony, harmony, harmony..." Edward sang in tune and didn't take his eyes from me.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

**JPOV**

I couldn't sleep. I restlessly lay in bed, nearly all of my thoughts focused on Edward. I couldn't get him out of my mind.

I don't know how many times I'd run through my evening with him in the coffee shop. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured him vividly.

What was it about him that kept me awake?

I repeatedly replayed our kiss—his body stepping close to mine, the strong grip of his long fingers around my waist, the warmth that emanated from his firm thighs as he stood between mine.

I groaned at the memory.

I felt his soft breath as he whispered in my ear, and when he said he'd do anything for me, a wave of passionate heat rolled through my body.

I recalled his intense stare as he leaned in to kiss me. His eyes were a mix of subtle shades of green surrounded by long, thick lashes. Did he really flutter them just before our lips connected? He certainly did by the time I was on my fifth or sixth replay.

It was such a delicious kiss, short but oh so sweet. I parted my lips and tried to remember the feel of his touch, the warmth and moisture as he moved sensitively against my mouth. My whole being shuddered with the resonating hum of pleasure that had begun in Edward's throat and was now spreading through me to every cell of my body.

My mind lengthened the kiss until in my daydream we kissed each other with exuberance. I imagined him rubbing his hardness against mine as we made out in the coffee bar.

I lay under the bedclothes panting, with my body overheating and my cock throbbing with desire. I rubbed my hand over my engorged length in an attempt to relieve the growing pressure. Deciding I'd only get to sleep if I jerked off, I slipped my hand under the waistband of my briefs and started to stroke myself. With thoughts of Edward making love to me, I was soon spurting out ribbons of creamy-white jizz all over my hand.

I cleaned up in the bathroom, and as I settled back into my bed, I rolled onto my side determined to get at least a couple of hours sleep.

I took several long, deep breaths as I tried to relax and calm my inner turmoil.

I liked Edward.

A lot.

Not only was he good-looking, but also there was some inner core of kindness that had radiated from his actions earlier. He'd been so considerate and protective of me. I felt he'd even have taken a hit for me, although I didn't know how much of his bravado was due to having Emmett and Jake as potential backup. But still, he'd stood up to James and I hoped sincerely he'd not just been acting when he kissed me. I wanted it to mean much more to him.

Yet at the same time, I was a little uncomfortable with his slightly effeminate mannerisms. I tried to imagine having a boyfriend who was so O.T.T. at times. Would I be embarrassed by his flamboyant nature or would I learn to love this side of him? When he kissed me and held me tightly to his body everything had felt so right. I knew I couldn't change his nature any more than I could change the color of those sexy eyes of his. I decided I didn't want to change him anyway.

It was the early hours of the morning by the time I finally decided I wanted to give Edward a chance. I was cross with myself for foolishly turning down an invitation to meet up with my new friends over the weekend. They all shared a large house close to the college, and as we were leaving the coffee shop, Emmett had casually invited me over to their house for supper the following evening.

Because I was unsure about Edward, I came up with excuses regarding essays and research for assignments due in soon. I said I'd be busy working all weekend, when in fact I was going to be on my own. Edward hovered, examining his fingernails. He remained quiet and made no attempt to persuade me otherwise. But as I said goodnight to everyone, I caught what I thought was a look of disappointment in his eyes. He gave me a slight smile before he twirled around and headed towards his car.

"Jasper, give me a call if you change your mind," Emmett had shouted as he followed his brother to his car. "You can always come over on Sunday instead, if you like."

I'd nodded and said I'd call him if I managed to finish all my work.

I woke up late on Saturday morning, and as I still felt groggy after a restless night, I decided to go for a quick run around the block. I hoped my mind would clear as my feet pounded heavily on the streets. I built up to a steady rhythm and debated if and when I should call Emmett. I wanted to see my newfound friends again and Edward in particular. But I didn't want to seem too eager or too needy. Even though I felt lonely, I wasn't that desperate. Surely I could wait until I saw them all again at college on Monday.

The weekend seemed to stretch out endlessly before me and the thought of being alone for the next two days wasn't an attractive proposition. Deciding to call Emmett that afternoon, I sprinted back to my room. After showering and having an early lunch, I sat on my bed with my phone in my hand. My fingers hesitated over the keypad and my heart pounded in my chest.

I wanted to sound composed and laidback, and I definitely didn't want to send the wrong message to Emmett. It took me several minutes to prepare what I wanted to say and it took a few more before I plucked up the courage to finally make the call.

"Hey, Jasper, good to hear from you," Emmett breezed down the phone.

"Yeah, and you," I said as calmly as I could. "I've just been thinking. Perhaps I could do with a break tomorrow after I've written my essay. I wanted to know if I could still pop over to see you guys sometime." I didn't want to name anyone in particular.

I could almost feel and see the smile forming on his face. "That would be great, Jasper. Why don't you come over for lunch? We're planning to have a barbecue in the garden if it's a sunny day. Come any time after two. I think everyone should be up and about by then, even Jake and Seth."

Disappointingly, he didn't mention Edward. "Thanks, Emmett. I'll bring some beer with me. I'm looking forward to it already. See you tomorrow."

For the rest of the day, it seemed like I paced up and down. I couldn't settle to do anything in particular. What the hell was wrong with me? I felt like I had enormous butterflies in my stomach and hardly ate a thing. Because I was so restless, I went for a five-mile run in the early evening. I told myself I wanted to check out where their house was so I wouldn't be late the following day. I slowed down when I ran past. Edward's car was parked outside, and if I hadn't been in such a sweaty mess, I might have stopped in the hope I'd catch sight of him and have a chat.

Sunday lunchtime seemed to take forever to arrive, but at least I'd used my time wisely and written an essay that wasn't due in for two weeks. It was my only way of taking my mind off Edward. Being engrossed in history was a passion of mine and provided a much-needed distraction. I think I'd have gone insane without it.

I dressed smartly but still as casually as I could. My room was strewn with discarded clothes by the time I was ready to leave. For each item of clothing I put on, I tried to analyze Edward's potential response to them and wondered what he would wear. In the end, I chose the clothes I'd first selected; my best dark jeans, a white T-shirt with an open blue and white checked shirt over the top. I'd shaved closely and spent ages trying to get my hair into some sort of style. I should have had it cut, but it was too late now.

If I was in this state now, what the hell would I be like if I ever went out on a proper date with Edward? Why was I suddenly so obsessed with my appearance? It had never been that important to me in the past. Not even when I first went out with James. I tried not to think about James and pushed him out of my mind.

~0~

Emmett opened the door within seconds of me knocking. He greeted me with a welcoming smile and ushered me towards the main living area. Surprisingly for a house shared by five guys, it appeared clean and tidy. Riley stood in the kitchen vigorously chopping up salad items. I offered him the beer I'd brought with me. He nodded to acknowledge my arrival and put it in the fridge without saying a word to me.

Jake and Seth came in from the backyard, greeting me in a friendlier manner. "Glad you could join us," Seth said chirpily, giving Emmett and Riley a quick glance.

I noticed some discord between the two of them and I hoped it wasn't because of me.

Although desperately wanting to ask where Edward was, I decided to wait patiently for him to appear. He would probably make a grand entrance shortly.

I sat down on the dark leather couch and heard heavy footsteps coming down the stairs. Turning expectantly, I was surprised to see an unfamiliar face.

"This is Sam, our other housemate. Sam, this is Jasper." Emmett did the introductions.

I raised my hand. "Hi, Sam, nice to meet you."

Sam dipped his head, smiled, and walked towards the fridge. My mind rapidly paired everyone up. If Jake and Seth were partners and Emmett and Riley were sort of together, did that mean Edward and Sam were an item, too? I hoped I was totally mistaken, but felt bitterly disappointed.

"Is Edward here?" I asked as casually as I could.

"He's probably still deciding what to wear," Riley quipped and everyone laughed.

"It takes time and effort to look this gorgeous, darling, you should know that," Edward gushed as he entered the room and my insides melted.

He did indeed look gorgeous—loud and slightly eccentric, but still totally fucking gorgeous.

He wore a bright red and black shirt with a marble effect, and smart black pants. And before I could take in what else he wore, he flounced over to me and gave me a peck on the cheek.

"So glad you could make it, Jasper," he almost whispered, making it quite an intimate moment between the two of us.

I smiled at him and then at the others who were staring at us open-mouthed.

"Why don't I show you around, hun, before we start cooking on the barbecue, "he said, taking me by the hand.

"Edward..." Emmett started to say, but didn't finish when Edward shot him a surly look.

Edward pulled me in the direction of the double doors that led out into the backyard. The gas barbecue was already set up on the patio alongside a large wooden table laid with a white cloth, cutlery and glasses.

I nodded towards the round table. "Do you entertain a lot?"

"Not really, but we do eat together like a family at the weekends. I prefer the table to be laid out properly so that has become my chore, along with a lot of the cooking, too," he said with a smile, adjusting the vase of pastel colored flowers in the middle of the table.

"So, you'll be doing the cooking on the barbecue today, then?"

"You can give me a hand if you like, sweetie." Edward grinned at me. "I've got an apron you can use."

Jake and Seth joined us, bringing with them a bottle of wine and a few beers. I took a beer and cast my eyes around the rest of the garden.

"Who's in charge of the garden?" I was impressed with how neat and tidy it all was.

Edward lifted his bottle to his lips, but spoke first. "We have a married couple who come in once a week to help us out. He does the gardening and she gives the house a clean, except for my room. I do that myself."

Emmett, Riley and Sam all filed out of the house, each carrying something for the table. Jake and Seth were already seated. I decided to observe how Sam and Edward interacted in an attempt to see if they were actually together.

"Do you want some help carrying the meat out?" Sam directed his question to Edward.

"I think Jasper and I can manage, thanks." Edward smiled, but then looked intently at me. "That's if you don't mind helping me, Jasper."

I shot a quick look toward Sam first to make sure this wasn't going to cause any friction between the two of them, but he was already opening the bottle of wine. Relieved, I nodded at Edward and followed him into the house. However, as we entered the building, Emmett said he needed to fetch something else as well. It wasn't a very subtle attempt, but he made it clear that he didn't want Edward and me to be alone for even a short period of time.

Edward handed me a plain apron and then proceeded to put one over his smart clothes. I expected something garish or vulgar, but surprisingly it wasn't.

He must have noticed my reaction. "I do have one with a picture of a naked man sprawled across it, but I only wear that when I'm on my own." He looked at me, giggling.

We both carried out the trays of raw meat to the barbecue. I didn't really help with the cooking as Edward had it all under control. I passed him a few things when he asked, and was happy to be standing and talking with him. By the time he'd finished, everything looked perfectly cooked and smelt divine.

Everyone else was seated when we brought the cooked meat over to the table and served it onto the plates. The two spaces left for us were not next to each other. I felt disappointed that I wasn't going to be sitting next to Edward for lunch.

Edward sighed loudly. "Is there any chance that one of you could move so I can sit next to Jasper?" He placed one hand on his hip and looked at each person in turn around the table.

"Sit next to me, Edward," Sam requested. "I'm sure Jasper will be fine next to Emmett. He won't bite him."

Edward huffed, but he took his place. Riley shifted uncomfortably in his seat when I sat down next to Emmett. For a few moments, the atmosphere felt a little awkward again and I kept my attention focused on the delicious food in front of me.

"Great steaks, Edward, as usual. Thanks for cooking for us." Jake broke the ice with his praise.

We all agreed and Edward seemed to forget about his almost tantrum.

"I told you the marinade would work well, didn't I?" He beamed and relaxed a little.

The conversation continued jovially with us all chipping in comments, some more than others. Riley remained the quietest. He only seemed to want to converse with Emmett. And to my relief, Sam and Edward didn't appear to be anything more than good friends.

The beer and wine flowed freely, although I restricted my consumption to just two bottles of beer because I'd be driving back later. I moved on to Edward's homemade lemonade for the rest of the afternoon.

After clearing the table and moving the chairs to a shady part of the garden, we continued to sit in a group and chat.

"How long have you two been together?" I asked Jake and Seth, hoping to eventually find out if Edward had a partner.

"Two years, three months and six days." Seth flashed his brilliant smile at me and took hold of Jake's hand.

"You're counting the days?" I asked incredulously.

"I think it's so sweet." Edward waved his arms in a big gesture before placing them over his heart. "I'm sure I'll do the same one day. I'll even count the minutes, too, hun." Edward continued to gaze at me.

"And Emmett and Riley are...?" I enquired tentatively.

"Just friends with benefits, if you know what I mean." Emmett guffawed and winked at me.

"I'm not entirely sure I do," I admitted. "Do I really want to know?" I looked at Riley, who obviously wanted to be so much more than friends with Emmett. I actually felt sorry for him for the first time since meeting him. He probably took whatever he could from Emmett, as something was better than nothing at all.

"They use each other for a little stress relief once or twice a week if the noise they make is anything to go by." Jake sneered, followed by a grin.

"Shut the fuck up, Jake. It's none of your business what we do." Riley snarled before turning away.

"Boys, boys, boys... let's not fall out in front of our guest." Edward waved his hands and tried to calm the situation down.

"So, who's up for a game of volleyball before we have Edward's luscious dessert?" Seth stepped forward, trying to lighten the tension.

"I'll need to change into something more suitable first, sweetie." Edward was already rising to his feet with a flourish.

"Can I use the bathroom before we start playing?" I quickly asked so I could follow Edward indoors.

"You can use my bathroom, hun. I clean mine every day so it's spotless in there. These dirty dogs just leave theirs for the cleaning lady to do once a week, yuck." Edward shuddered.

I made a mental note to tidy my room just in case Edward ever surprised me with a visit. I pictured all my clothes still strewn around on the floor along with at least a week's worth of worn clothes and other stuff I hadn't bothered to put away.

Leading me upstairs, we entered the first bedroom. "This is my room," Edward said with a broad sweep of his hands. "The bathroom is through that door over there, Jasper."

I walked across his spotless floor, my eyes flitting to books and CDs on numerous shelves. His bed was immaculately made with a few carefully arranged cushions. In fact, nothing was out of place, even his two guitars seemed to be standing to attention. I cast my eyes around the room once more and then looked at Edward's unruly but sexy hair and smirked.

"Yes, I know my hair needs cutting." He ran his fingers though it and flicked it back. "I just haven't found a suitable place yet with someone I can trust to cut it properly for me."

"Well, when you do, let me know because mine needs a good trim, too."

"Sweetie, your hair is just perfect," he said softly. "It suits you this length. So, please promise me you won't get it cut for a few weeks at least."

"Just for you, I promise, Edward." And at that moment, I would have done anything to make him happy. And what I wouldn't give to feel his fingers running through my hair.

Emmett suddenly shouted up the stairs, "Hurry up, you two. We've got the volleyball net set up and we're ready to play." He was definitely trying to keep our alone time down to a minimum.

I went into the bathroom, leaving Edward to get changed into something sporty.

When I came out, he was doing up the laces on his black sneakers. He was wearing loose red, white and blue checked sweatpants, and a white sleeveless T-shirt. He still looked drop-dead gorgeous and the sight of his exposed muscular shoulders almost made me groan. The thought of him working out was definitely something for my late night fantasies.

I made the most of the view of his back as I followed him down the stairs. I wanted to rub my hands over his broad shoulders and down his bare arms, and it took all of my willpower to control the urge to drag him back to his bedroom.

Riley was sitting down with a book in his hand, so obviously he didn't intend to play with us. Sam and Emmett were on one side of the net facing Jake and Seth, tapping the ball back and forth.

"You've chosen the teams without us, then?" Edward huffed.

"You two were taking an awfully long time upstairs." Emmett bounced the ball on the grass. "Jasper, why don't you join us, and Jake and Seth can have Edward on their side."

I glanced at Edward expecting him to say something, but he didn't. He just took his place at the back of the makeshift court.

Edward looked athletic and agile each time he moved to reach the ball and was so hot to watch. I was glad I was facing him after all. Sam and Emmett had the strength, but they relied on me to get to the ball if it dropped short over the net.

We played for quite awhile in the heat of the mid-afternoon sun. I grew to like the way Edward gave a little jump and clapped his hands in short rapid movements every time he scored a point against his brother. I also liked the fact that his hair and T-shirt were getting damp the more he excelled himself. In fact, I was getting rather too distracted by him, so I decided to put a bit more effort into reaching for the ball for my team.

All at once, after a sudden turn, a sharp ripping sound burst from my left leg. Pain swept through my calf muscle and I collapsed onto the grass gripping my leg in agony. My friends surrounded me, asking what the hell I'd done. I knew I'd torn my calf muscle and cursed at the thought of having to hobble around for the next couple of weeks.

"Do you need a doctor?" Emmett asked, his face full of concern.

Still gripping my leg, I shook my head, "No, I don't think so—just some ice. I had a similar injury a couple of years ago."

Edward dashed into the house, and within minutes, he knelt beside me and held a bag of ice wrapped in a towel against my throbbing muscle.

"How's that feel, hun?"

"It's okay. Thanks, Edward, that should ease it soon." I placed my hand over his to adjust the ice pack to where I needed it the most and kept it there for a little longer than I should.

"Seth, hun, could you fetch Jasper some painkillers?" Edward asked and his friend responded immediately. "The ones that are anti-inflammatory," he called after him.

"Thanks, doc," I teased him.

"My father's a doctor, so I should know a few things," he said softly.

I gulped down the tablets with some water, and after a few minutes, Emmett and Edward wrapped their arms around my back and helped me over to a chair next to Riley. I rested my injured leg on another chair and tried to breathe through the pain. Edward stayed with me while the other guys continued with the volleyball game and held the icepack in place for me so I could lean against the back of the chair.

"I don't think I'll be able to drive for a few days," I said when I suddenly realized this.

"Don't worry, sweetie. One of us will pick you up and get you wherever you need to go."

"But my car is parked out the front."

"Yeah... I'll drive you back tonight and Emmett can follow us in your car. See, all sorted. Don't panic, Jasper. I've got you," he said the last words quietly.

I gave Edward a smile and tried not to read too much into his offer of help.

When the temperature cooled around us, we headed indoors. I gladly wrapped my arm around Edward's shoulders. He helped me into the house and into one of the leather armchairs.

I sat watching the sudden flurry of activity. Everyone chipped in to make sandwiches or coffee, and Edward quickly assembled some sort of fruit, cream and meringue dessert.

Seth and Jake sat down closely on one end of the long couch and Riley and Emmett joined them hand in hand. I was relieved the atmosphere between the two of them had eased since they'd played volleyball together later that afternoon. Sam sat on the other single chair, while Edward perched on the arm of my chair and passed me whatever I needed from the coffee table. His arm occasionally brushed against mine and I wanted desperately to lean into him.

"This dessert tastes wonderful, Edward," I said after a few mouthfuls.

He beamed at me. "I'm glad you like it, hun. My strawberry pavlovas are always a hit."

Emmett coughed.

Edward shot him a warning look before turning back at me with a ghost of a smile on his lips.

We continued to sit around talking and joking, with Edward frequently asking me how I felt. Every time he showed his concern for me, my legs became the consistency of jell-o and an arousing flutter rippled down to my lower half.

As the evening drew to a close, I wanted nothing more than to be curled up in my bed, preferably with Edward's arms wrapped tightly around me. I felt tired and happy despite the pain in my leg.

"Would you like to go soon?" Edward asked, his voice all warm and husky.

"Whenever you're ready," I whispered, because that was all I could manage.

"Right then, sweetie, let's get you to my car." He moved to ease me out of the chair. "Emmett, are you all right to drive Jasper's car for him and I'll bring you back home?"

"Yeah, I haven't had a drink for over four hours." He peeled a sleepy Riley off his lap.

The short drive to my dorm in the college grounds took hardly any time at all.

Before we got out of the car, Edward checked when and where my first lecture was the following morning.

"Ten o'clock in East 17," I muttered, my voice all soft and wavering for some reason.

"I'll arrive at half nine then to help you get there on time." His voice mirrored mine. "Come on, let's get you up to your room."

Emmett parked up behind Edward's car and chucked me my keys. "Do you need some extra help?" he asked as Edward supported my weight and I hobbled on one foot.

_Please give me some alone time with Edward. _

"I think we can manage, bro. I won't be long, so why don't you wait in my car?" Edward's eyes pleaded with his brother. Emmett shrugged reluctantly and held his hand out for the key.

"Here you go." Edward acknowledged him and his lips quirked up in a half smile.

We shuffled our way into the building with Edward bearing a lot of my weight.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor, Jasper?" His green eyes crinkled in amusement.

"What's so funny?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"Well, if I get you upstairs and you change your mind, I won't be impressed, hun."

"Change my mind?" My voice was husky and breathy.

"About seeing a doctor, babe. What else did you think I was talking about?"

Embarrassed, I shook my head.

I was even more embarrassed when we met a few of the guys along my corridor, certain they were going to say something insulting or make fun of me.

"Hey, Jasper, what the hell happened to you?"

At least they didn't accuse me of being drunk. "Torn my calf muscle, I think." My arm was still slung across Edward's shoulders.

"Well, give us a shout if you need anything," one of them said, and he seemed to genuinely mean it.

"Thanks, guys." I acknowledged their offer with a smile, but leaned into Edward slightly more.

We were about ten feet from my room. _Oh, shit!_ _My floor was still a mess._ There was no way I wanted Edward to see what a slob I was. He probably wouldn't want anything to do with me ever again.

We stood at my door and I hesitated. "Thanks so much, Edward, for your help tonight and the other night with James, too."

"You're welcome, sweetie." He gave me a beautiful smile. "Do you want me to open the door for you?" I hadn't attempted to put the key in the lock.

"No, it's okay. I can do it."

"Do you want some help getting to the bathroom or taking your clothes off?" He grinned, teasing me.

"I think I can manage, Edward." My heart pounded in my chest. I wanted nothing more than for Edward to strip me naked, but I didn't want him to see my room. _Damn!_

"Have you got a woman hidden in there?"

"I'm afraid it's worse than that."

"Two women?" Edward laughed loudly at his own joke.

"Edward, I didn't have time to tidy up this morning."

"So?" Edward took the keys out of my hand and unlocked the door without saying another word.

I cringed as he took in the state of my room.

"Honey, you should see Seth or Jake's room. Compared to them, this is... well... not too bad." I smiled at his attempt to be polite and considerate of my feelings.

We made it to my bed and I collapsed onto my back. Edward lifted my legs up gently and took off my shoes for me.

He spent the next few minutes picking up the clothes scattered on the floor, and hung or folded them up for me.

"There," he said. "Don't want you tripping over and hurting your leg again, do we?"

"Edward, you didn't have to do that. But thanks anyway."

He sat on the edge of my bed and reached his hand over to me. Tucking a few strays hairs behind my ear. "Is there anything else I can do for you, sweets?"

"I'll be fine. Just need to sleep and keep my leg elevated." Sleep wasn't too far away.

"You're not going to sleep in your clothes are you?"

At that moment, I would have been quite happy to lie there all night, clothed or otherwise.

"Come on, let me help you out of them," he said matter-of-factly. And he did.

Despite the pain and despite feeling exhausted, I managed to get a huge boner by the time my jeans were pulled carefully over my sore leg.

Thankfully, Edward acted doctor-like and kept his eyes away from my underwear, and more importantly, what was bulging beneath it. He struggled to get my sleep pants on, but between us, we managed and ended up laughing about it.

"I'd better go, sweetie, before Emmett comes bounding up the stairs looking for me," he said with some regret in his voice.

I nodded and thanked him again for all his help.

"See you about half past nine tomorrow morning, then." He gave me a brief kiss on the lips. "Hope you sleep well, hun."

"Thanks for a great day." I felt my eyelids getting heavier by the second.

"Night, night, love," were the last words I heard.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who sent positive words of encouragement for the first chapter. I'm so glad you love my flamboyant Edward and my slightly needy Jasper.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Always

Chapter Three

**JPOV**

In spite of the pain in my leg, I woke with a wonderful feeling of anticipation. I was looking forward to seeing Edward again that morning and the thought of being looked after by him gave me a pleasant tingling inside. I trusted him to look after and care for me. In fact, I positively wanted him to.

So I was somewhat disappointed when I opened my door to find an unexpected grinning Emmett standing there in front of me.

"Emmett?" I hoped I didn't sound too obviously dismayed, but I looked to his side anyway in the hope Edward would also be standing there beside him.

"Edward was still in bed when I left, and as I have a history lecture with you first thing, I told him I'd make sure you get there on time. He said he'll meet us for lunch."

"Thanks, Emmett, I really appreciate it." I wouldn't be able to get to college by myself. I could only hobble a few steps unaided.

He carried my bag, and his strong arms helped me down the stairs toward his car with ease. I leaned against him and wrapped my arm around his thick waist for added support. It wasn't quite the same as clinging onto Edward—but needs must.

As we drove the short journey to the college parking lot, Emmett was obviously debating whether to say something to me. I wondered what he was thinking and hoped he planned to explain his unusual behavior with Edward the day before.

"You and Edward seem to have hit it off." He focused on the road in front of him and came straight to the point without looking me in the eyes.

"Er... yes," I admitted, not quite sure exactly what to say to him. "We seem to get on pretty well."

"Look, Jasper, I'd normally wait to say this, but I want to mention it now before Edward gets hurt." Emmett looked serious, concerned for his younger brother. "I want to tell you something about Edward's past that may affect your opinion of him, and a little about Edward as well... so you're not under any false illusions."

That sounded ominous. I wondered what his true motive was, but waited to hear him out.

"When Edward was sixteen, something nasty happened to him. He was always popular in high school and people accepted him for who he was. One day when he was out walking alone, a group of men came across him in a meadow and well... they started making fun of him, but it all got out of hand and they ended up stripping him and one guy abused him. The others were going to join in, but Sam and some other guys managed to rescue Edward." Emmett paused and glanced to see my reaction so far. I kept quiet so he'd continue.

"As you would expect, Edward was a quivering wreck and clung onto Sam while they waited for our father and me to arrive. We all became good friends afterwards because of this incident. In fact, Sam and Edward became an item soon after and were together for about three months. It didn't quite work out between them, but they have remained firm friends since. Sam is still protective of Edward... we all are. We all want what's best for him and will continue to look after him. Even though he gives off this aura of confidence, he is still quite insecure, Jasper."

I wasn't sure what Emmett wanted me to say or what he thought my reaction would be. I wondered if he was deliberately scaring me off and began to get irritated. After all, he was the one who introduced me to his brother and his friends in the first place.

"Edward seems to latch onto new guys, but he often ends up getting hurt. I must say, though, he has taken an exceptional shine to you, more so than normal. And you seem an okay sort of guy, who's not just out to have your way with him."

My jaw dropped. I was pretty taken aback by what Emmett said about Edward and what he assumed about me. He'd been very frank, but I was still uncertain why he'd told me all of this. I felt sorry for Edward, but wasn't sure why he'd think this would affect my relationship with him.

"So you think I'm going to run off because he's damaged goods?" I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth.

We were in the lecture hall by then and it was filling up quite rapidly, so our voices became hushed.

"I just wanted you to know because... because it has sent previous interested parties running and Edward was always terribly upset afterwards. I think he'd be hurt if you gave up on him. I wanted you to know this before things got too serious between the two of you."

"I'm not going anywhere." His words made me feel there might be hope for us after all.

"Just one more thing... please don't tell Edward I told you any of this."

I promised not to say anything and let what he'd told me sink in.

Emmett helped me to the cafeteria after the lecture and had me seated by the time Edward walked in. My attention focused on him immediately. He wasn't dressed like a typical college student. He wore smart pants and a dark leather jacket with a bright pink jumper and shirt underneath. He held his head up high and flounced across the room packed with students. A few heads turn as he moved among the crowded tables, his good looks attracting the scrutiny of many eye-batting females. Surely, they knew they were wasting their time trying to gain his attention?

He didn't look happy. In fact, he looked totally pissed off. I hoped it wasn't because of something I'd done. However, he totally ignored his brother and glanced at me.

"How are you feeling today, Jasper?" he asked rather coolly, but his kind green eyes gave his concern away.

"My calf is still painful and my ankle is swelling now. I can't put my full weight on it yet and I'll need to wrap some more ice around it as soon as I get back." He looked at me intensely as I spoke. I realized Emmett hadn't shown me half this much concern.

Edward fetched my lunch on a tray for me. We sat in relative silence with Emmett as we ate, the atmosphere still frosty between the two brothers. I hoped Edward was just annoyed about Emmett collecting me rather than being worried about what he might have told me.

"Well, I haven't got any lectures this afternoon, so Jasper do you want a lift back with me now, or are you going to wait for Edward?" Emmett asked me, clearly giving me the option.

"I've got to see Mr. Berty about my history research at two o'clock, so I'll wait for a lift... if that's all right with you, Edward?"

Edward smiled at me. "Of course it is, sweetie. I've an English literature lecture first, then I was going to practice in one of the music rooms for an hour or so, but I could give that a miss today to get you back earlier."

"I'd like to listen to you play if that's okay and even join in if there's a guitar free for me to use."

"Mmm... the thought of making sweet music with you, Jasper, will make my day." He smirked at his own joke and then blushed. Something I hadn't really seen Edward do. Emmett became embarrassed as well and went to leave the table.

"I'll see you later, Edward... and behave yourselves." He looked at us and wagged his finger as if he were our father.

"Yes, Dad," Edward teased him, almost reading my mind and seeming in a better mood now his brother was going.

Edward and I chatted for a few more minutes before he thought it was time to get me over to Mr. Berty's office. Having Edward's arms around me, and gripping onto his lean body made me so much more comfortable than I'd been with Emmett.

"I'll collect you in an hour when my lecture has finished. Wait for me on those chairs." He pointed his long nimble fingers to where we were to meet.

I sorted out a few issues with my project. Mr. Berty gave me some helpful suggestions as to where to research next and how to follow up my already completed essay.

Edward was waiting for me by the time I hobbled out of the office. Even though I was beginning to put more weight on the ball of my foot, I still couldn't extend my leg so my heel could touch the ground. I knew this would take a few more days if my last injury were anything to go by.

"Right then, sunshine." Edward greeted me enthusiastically. "Let's pop over to the music practice rooms. I'll carry your bag and you can lean on me again. Are you sure you're all right? You still look like you're in a lot of pain."

"Edward, I'm fine really." I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and pulled myself closer to him. He held onto me tightly and I relished the feel of his fingers as they grazed the skin around my exposed middle.

We were soon seated in a practice room that contained a small piano after Edward managed to locate a guitar for me to strum. I started tuning it as he began to play a soulful tune from memory on the piano. I stopped what I was doing and watched him, becoming absolutely mesmerized by his talent.

Shortly, his eyes closed. He seemed almost in a different realm, becoming engrossed in his music, a faint smile on his lips as he continued to play.

All at once, he stopped to look at me.

"That sounds beautiful... I've never heard it before. Keep playing it, please," I all but whispered.

"No, you wouldn't have done. I only composed it last night. This is the first time I've played it."

"Wow, I'm impressed. What are you going to call it?"

He shrugged and his cheeks flushed again as he looked back down at the piano. "I'm not sure yet, hun. I wrote it while thinking about you."

It was my turn to blush now and my gaze shot down to the guitar. I didn't know what to say to that and thought Edward probably didn't mean to say it aloud.

Edward played the song again, covering up the hushed stillness in the room, and I joined in with a few chords of my own. We played the song together several times, so by the end of our session, we had quite an accomplished piece of work and I beamed at him.

After that, we just messed about. I played a few songs I knew and sang a bit. He joined in when he could. The hour soon passed and we agreed that we should do this again sometime. "I have a couple of guitars in my room at home. You could always come over for supper one evening and we could put some words to _our_ song," he suggested tentatively.

I really liked the way he said 'our'.

I looked at him and focused on his kissable lips. I was sitting too far away from him, but I wanted to lean forward and connect us. For a few moments, Edward appeared to be considering the same, but then he suddenly stood and took the guitar from me to put it away.

We packed up and headed towards Edward's car so he could drive me the short distance back to my room.

As we drove, I mulled over Emmett's words from this morning. Even though I promised to keep quiet, I wanted to say something to Edward, but in the end, I chickened out and decided not to say anything.

"You okay, sweetie?" He looked across at me. "You seem a little distracted."

"Mmm... I'm fine. Thanks, Edward." I diverted my attention to the windscreen.

When we got to my room, Edward helped me over to my small sofa and put my bag on my desk out of the way.

"I'll get you some ice for that leg." He left straight away and walked down the corridor to the shared kitchen. Within minutes, he was back with a bundle of ice wrapped in a tea towel. I rolled up my jeans and placed the pack where I felt the most swelling and pain. The soothing cooling effect was just what I needed.

"You really need to keep this leg elevated as much as possible tonight, Jasper." Edward put on his serious doctor's face.

I nodded because I didn't feel up to much anyway.

"What had you planned for your evening meal? You didn't eat a lot at lunchtime."

"I haven't really thought that far ahead," I admitted, toying with a cushion.

"You've got to eat, sunshine. What do you have in the cupboard or freezer? Let me rustle up something for us." Edward's hands waved with a flourish.

I thought for a moment. "If we go to the kitchen, I'll show you my cupboard and I can point out what's mine in the fridge and freezer."

Edward rolled his eyes at me, but made his way over and helped me to standing. I breathed in his fresh scent, cherishing how welcome it was. I grasped him a little too closely than I needed yet again, but he didn't object.

I perched on one of the kitchen chairs with my leg resting on another as I pointed out my minimal supplies.

"Seriously, honey, when your leg is better we are going shopping together and I am going to teach you a few basic recipes."

I flushed, embarrassed again, but I tried to argue that I'd not really had the chance to go shopping recently.

"You need to look after yourself, Jasper. You can't live off junk food for the next few years while you're at college."

Edward went to take off his jumper before he set to work. As he eased up his arms and pulled it over his head, the shirt he wore rose up as well to reveal a toned slim torso. I received a full glimpse of his tattoo apart from the small section that was hidden by the top of his pants. I couldn't avert my eyes even though I thought I should.

As he turned around, I noticed his belly piercing was missing, but instead he had a ring through his right nipple. Instantly, I longed to flick my tongue over it, and within seconds, my jeans felt tight as my cock hardened. I wanted to touch his skin and snake my fingers over his tattoo. I pulled the chair I was sitting on closer to the table so it would hide my thickening erection.

As Edward removed his jumper and adjusted his shirt, he caught my eyes taking in his sexy body.

"It's rather hot in here," he stated not too innocently.

"I'm certainly getting hot under the collar," I thought and said aloud. Edward laughed at my joke although I didn't intend it to be funny.

I watched him intently as he gathered everything he needed to make our meal. He seemed more relaxed today away from his brother and housemates.

Two other students came in and started to prepare themselves a drink and a snack. They stood on either side of Edward as he worked while they waited for their food to cook. Edward chatted to them and I couldn't help but feel a little left out, and to be honest... jealous.

They asked him what he was cooking and he quickly explained his recipe—a tuna pasta bake. I watched him talking and moving and ran through all the things I liked about him. He was absolutely the best looking man I'd ever seen. No question about it. His body was great, too. He was talented in so many areas—an accomplished musician, an intuitive cook, a clever student. And I loved his personality. There was something about him that attracted me to him and I wondered what he'd be like in bed.

I wanted us to be a couple. I really did, but I was still hesitant about the next step. James and my other boyfriends had made the first move. I always stood back and waited, and I was doing the same again this time. I worried nothing would happen between us if Edward was doing the same thing. Emmett seemed to imply that Edward threw himself at other guys. If anything, he was holding himself back with me.

"Would you like a drink, Jasper?" Edward asked, distracting me from my thoughts but I realized I had been staring at Edward the whole time.

I nodded. "Please."

The two guys sat at the table with me and ate their snack. We made polite conversation and every so often Edward's eyes flicked over to me.

While our dinner was cooking, Edward washed and dried everything he'd used. He was so meticulous and tidy he put me to shame.

By the time our meal was cooked and ready to eat, the two other guys had left the kitchen. Edward served up the bake. It smelt and tasted delicious, but I didn't expect any other.

"Mmm... this is really good," I told him honestly as I took a bite. "And to think it was in my cupboard all this time." I smirked.

"It's a basic student recipe, Jasper. I'll teach it to you next time I come over and I'll get you to do the cooking." He slowly lifted his fork to his mouth.

_Next time_.

I liked the sound of that. "Thanks, Edward. I really appreciate all you're doing for me. You've been a great help and a good friend, and I've only known you for a few days."

Edward stopped eating and stared at me.

_I'd blown it. Trust me to push too far._

He sighed. "Apart from my house mates, I don't really have many true friends. So I'm glad you consider me a friend already. I would like to spend more time with you, Jasper, if that's okay?"

This was the most serious I'd ever seen him. His dark eyes looked into mine and held my gaze. My legs weakened and my arousal pulsed back into life.

"I'd like that as well, Edward." I beamed at him. He smiled back and carried on eating.

Edward washed up and put everything away neatly, then helped me back to my room.

I was disappointed when he said he'd better be going, but I knew he had work to do and I had some reading I needed to do for the next day.

"I'll definitely pick you up tomorrow morning," he said firmly. "We have the same lecture times, so Emmett can't use that as an excuse this time."

Edward leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. I desperately wanted to hug him and give him a proper kiss, but once more I held back.

"See you tomorrow, sunshine," he said, heading towards the door, "and make sure you keep that leg rested."

I flopped down on my bed and closed my eyes when he'd gone. I tried to remember the 'pretend' kiss he'd given me in the coffee bar the other evening. It had only lasted a short while, but it had been the best kiss anyone had ever given me. Just the thought of another kiss from Edward, especially if we were more than just friends, sent me reeling inside.

My eyes welled up and I choked back a sob. Tears started trickling down my face for no apparent reason. They soon became uncontrollable and for a few minutes, I was crying in my loneliness. When the tears subsided and I'd finished, I wiped my face with the palms of my hands. I now felt wretched inside and was missing Edward already. I wanted him to be lying by my side, holding me and kissing me to calm me down.

I took several deep breaths and admonished myself for being such a drama queen.

Aiming to focus solely on my reading for the next hour or two, I picked up the book I needed to get through by tomorrow's lecture. As I became absorbed in the text, I managed to keep my attention on the content of the print for a while. However, after about an hour, I realized I'd been reading the last few pages but had not taken any of it in.

Closing my eyes briefly, I visualized Edward's face and his sexy body in the kitchen this afternoon. I imagined running my tongue over his nipple ring and flicking at his hardening nub. As I pictured my hands rubbing over his firm torso, my own hands mirrored those actions. I stroked myself gently over my chest with one hand playing with my nipples, while the other hand moved down my abdomen towards the waistband of my jeans. I rubbed over my thickening cock and bucked my hips upward as the warm sensations spread throughout my lower half. I used both hands to undo the button and zip, and before I knew it, my jeans and underwear were rapidly being pushed out of the way.

In my mind, I was licking and palming Edward's thick shaft while my hands were occupied with my own arousal. I cupped and kneaded my balls as I simultaneously stroked my dick slowly in long but tightening movements. My thumb spread the gathering moisture around the head and I began to alternate my strokes with rubbing my exposed slit with a slight twist of my wrist. My fantasy changed as I pictured Edward lying over me creating the deepening pleasure. His tongue licked around my balls before making its way along my now throbbing cock. As I imagined the feeling of him taking me fully into his mouth, I let out an audible groan. My hand moved rapidly, and within moments, I felt the wondrous tightening down below. My body tensed as I cried out his name and released ribbons of come all over my hand and stomach.

I lie panting. The warm aftermath of my orgasm continued to pulse around my body and it took several minutes before I felt I wanted to get off the bed to clean myself up.

~0~

The following morning, I was ready and waiting for Edward to collect me fifteen minutes before I needed to be. The swelling in my calf and ankle had gone down, and I felt substantially less pain now. I could almost place my foot on the floor when I wore my sneakers, but didn't have the confidence to push off from my heel just yet and was still a little cautious of any sudden movement.

I used my few spare minutes to tidy my room and smiled at the good effect Edward was already having on me.

For a few seconds, I feared Emmett would collect me again, but as soon as I opened the door to Edward's welcoming face, I relaxed. His beautiful smile made his whole face light up—from his bright eyes and his faint laughter lines to those pearly white teeth.

"Good morning, beautiful," he greeted me and I jokingly turned round to look for this person.

"I don't think he's here," I jested, "but I'll say good morning to you instead." We both grinned at each other and performed our ritual kiss on the cheek.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?" He nodded to the jacket and bag already in my arms. "I've got a surprise in the car for you."

The surprise turned out to be a pair of crutches, which he'd got his father to send over to him the previous evening. "These should help you get around for the next few days, but don't worry, I'll still help you with longer journeys."

Edward had difficulty finding a parking space close to the entrance of the college building, so he dropped me at the front by a bench and told me to wait for him while he parked up. He left the crutches with me, and while I was waiting, I tried them out. They really helped with keeping the weight off my injured leg.

"I'm impressed, hun," he said as he strode towards me.

"Thanks, but I did use some last time I injured my leg."

We walked down the main corridor together, but parted company as our first lecture rooms were in opposite directions. We both had a busy schedule all morning, so we didn't plan to meet up again until lunchtime.

Despite having several interesting lectures and seminars, I kept looking at the wall clocks or my watch throughout the morning. As the time to meet Edward approached, I felt butterflies in my stomach. I found it quite difficult to keep my attention solely on my studies once again because I kept pondering whether to ask him out on a proper date. As usual, I decided to wait and see, and felt angry with myself for being such a wimp. I was frightened of rejection, plus I didn't want to ruin our developing friendship.

When I finally got to the cafeteria, Edward was sitting with Emmett and the other guys at a long rectangular table. There was an empty seat opposite Edward, which I presumed they'd saved for me. As soon as Edward saw me, he walked toward me, taking my bag and jacket, and pulled out the chair so I could sit down. He perched the crutches against the end of the table and hung my bag and jacket on the back of my chair. I greeted everyone and responded to questions about how I was doing. I sensed Edward's eyes on me and occasionally risked a quick glance at him. Every time I did so, his smile encouraged me.

After a few minutes chatting, everyone else headed over to buy something to eat. I volunteered to buy Edward's lunch for him as a thank you for all of his assistance, but he waved his hand to decline the offer.

"It's okay, hun. Don't feel you owe me anything." He followed the others to the food counters. I suddenly thought I could offer to take him out for a proper meal at a restaurant in recompense. That way it wouldn't have to be an official date. I sat there chuffed with myself for coming up with the idea and tried to work out how to phrase the offer as a harmless question.

I still hadn't decided by the time everyone was seated again. Edward came back with a tray containing two plates of food and let me choose the one I preferred. I went for the burger and fries, leaving him the healthier option. He raised an eyebrow at me, but then knowingly smirked in the sexiest manner ever. An arousing tingle rushed backward across my scalp and straight down my spine.

"I didn't think you'd go for nourishing after seeing the junk in your kitchen yesterday," he said, seemingly oblivious to my internal reactions to him.

Before I could reply, Seth chipped in. "So, Jasper, when are you coming over to see us again?"

I gave Edward a quick look and shrugged. "Whenever I'm invited, I suppose."

"Jasper, you're welcome to drop by at any time. You don't have to wait for an invite," Emmett offered generously.

Edward bristled in his seat. "I was going to offer to cook you a decent meal tonight, Jasper, and then we could spend some time working on the song we started yesterday."

I noticed that he didn't say 'our' song this time. However, that would have required some explanation for the other guys.

"Thanks, Edward. That will save me having to go out shopping for food."

I planned to do some research in the library while Edward had a class in the afternoon. We arranged to meet up later so he could drop me off at my room. We were both going to do an hour of studying before he came back to collect me again.

Even though I had the crutches, Edward said he'd help me to the library as there were several sets of stairs on the way and he didn't want me to struggle with my bag.

We made our way and chatted easily. I eventually plucked up the courage to ask him out for that meal.

"Edward, as a thank you for all your help and kindness towards me, please can I take you out for a meal when I'm walking again properly?" I said quickly and took a deep breath, waiting for his response.

He stopped in his tracks, so I paused, too. "As a thank you?" He dipped his head as he spoke. "And not a date?"

"Emmett told me—" I started to say without thinking.

His anger burst out of him. "What? Emmett told you about _that_ and you didn't say anything to me?"

He dumped my bag at my feet, twirled around, and started to stride away from me.

"Edward, please, I need you," I called after him. He halted immediately. "I need you to help me," I added quietly, losing my confidence.

He stood with his back to me with one hand on his hip and the other on his forehead. Slowly, he turned around and walked back towards me.

"Forgive me, sweetie," he said softly, touching my arm. "I shouldn't have exploded like that. I'm cross with Emmett, not you. But you should have said something to me."

"I promised Emmett I wouldn't and it just slipped out, so I'm the one who should be sorry. I'd like to hear your version of the story sometime, Edward."

"Can we talk tonight after dinner?" he said, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Only if you're happy to."

"Okay. I've got to go now as my lecture starts in five minutes." He picked my bag up for me and helped me up the last staircase that led to the library.

Just before he turned away, he said, "And yes, sweetie, you can take me out for a meal as a thank you or even as a date, if you wish." He smiled coyly and bounced down the stairs two at a time.

If I didn't need the crutches to support me, I'd have leapt into the air with joy. Instead, I grinned all the way into the library and for most of the afternoon as well.


	4. Chapter 4

Always

Chapter Four

**JPOV**

Even though I was sitting in the library with a pile of books in front of me, I did very little studying. I was elated; all I could think about was Edward and I kept repeating his last words to me in my mind. He'd accepted my offer to take him out for a meal and was even willing to call it a date. He'd been buoyant as he bounced down the steps with a wide grin on his beautiful face. I willed my leg to heal itself so we could fix something up as soon as possible.

Edward had reacted angrily to his brother's intervention, and then within a few minutes, he'd been all coy and excited in his response to me. The sudden change in his demeanor fascinated to me. I was gradually getting to know him and his quirks. My first impression of him was that he was bold, confident and very camp at times. However, I'd seen different facets of his personality over the last few days. He was kind, caring and considerate, that was for certain. But Emmett had suggested that he was also insecure and unsure of himself. I had yet to see this side of him. He stood up to his brother and to James for me unquestioningly. He was definitely not a wimp.

I mulled over Emmett's words from yesterday, wondering if he was doing his brother a disservice for some reason. Was Edward really a compulsive flirt who latched on to new guys? Emmett said Edward had already taken a shine to me, more so than normal and that made me feel ecstatic inside. But there again, perhaps he would have offered to help anyone who was in need of assistance. That's just how he was, and not just because he was attracted to me.

By the time Edward came to collect me later in the afternoon, my mind was a whir with uncertainty and I was less jubilant. In fact, I felt more insecure about any possible future relationship with him.

I need not have worried. As soon as Edward saw me, a glorious smile spread across his face and he almost skipped over to where I was sitting in the library.

"Howya doing, sweetie?" he asked straight away, either oblivious or indifferent to the other students sitting nearby. If they didn't guess he was gay by the way he waltzed over to my table then they certainly did now.

I blushed and said quietly that I'd not accomplished much that afternoon. He gave me a knowing smile as I pointed to my notepad with hardly any writing on it. "Have you had something else on your mind, hun?"

I wished I had the nerve to tell him exactly what I'd been thinking.

And if only he knew what was going through my mind right now.

He stood before me and I couldn't help but drink in his magnetic persona. I might even have spaced out for a few seconds as I scanned his perfect face and body. He was dressed more casually today, but that only added to his appeal for me. We were almost in matching colors, both of us going for dark jeans and a pale blue t-shirt. Admittedly, Edward's looked like he'd had bright pink brush stokes dragged across his, while mine had some lame logo and picture printed on it.

Once I managed to draw my eyes away from his hot body and handsome face, I quickly packed away my books and we were soon in Edward's car heading towards my place. Edward was his normal jovial self, but I felt a little hesitant. I didn't know how to respond to him as we weren't officially going out together and I didn't feel I could treat him as my boyfriend just yet.

"So what work were you trying to do in the library, Jasper?" he said casually.

"Oh, just some reading and note taking for an essay."

"Er… yes, sweetie. I gathered that. What's the topic or question?" He seemed genuinely interested and for the rest of the car journey I told him about my research into the American Civil War. We chatted like two normal college buddies. We seemed to slip into this role easily and I was beginning to accept that was all he might ever be to me.

Edward dropped me off, saying he would be back in an hour to collect me again.

I gave up trying to do any more studying, promising myself I'd do double the amount of work the following day. I showered quickly, resisting the urge to jerk off to thoughts of Edward, and got ready for the evening.

I knew this wasn't an official date but was still apprehensive. I kept telling myself we were just buddies and to treat him as such.

And what made matters worse was when Edward arrived his demeanor was different. I'd seen evidence of his sudden mood swings and had accepted this as part of his nature, but he was definitely oozing anger this evening. He tried to cover it up, but I could tell something had happened in the last hour to upset him.

I wondered if he'd spoken to Emmett about our conversation and wished I'd kept my mouth shut. I wanted to ask him what was bothering him, but once again, my nerves got the better of me. As Edward drove, I couldn't help but study his amazing profile. He kept his eyes directly ahead and his large hands gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly. He gnawed on his bottom lip and his whole body seemed tense. His few words gave very little away about the cause of his anxiety. I was glad the journey was short and relieved when we pulled into his driveway.

As soon as we entered the boys' house, bad atmosphere hit me hard. All conversation stopped the second we walked through the doorway. Emmett was standing in the kitchen with Riley next to him. He put down his bottle of beer, and without saying anything, he stormed over to us, paused and glared at me. His face was inches away from mine. There was a cut on his lip and a bruised lump forming on his cheekbone. Then, he carried on out of the front door without saying anything to me, or even looking toward Edward. Riley rapidly followed him, giving me a thunderous look as he passed by.

Sam was sitting at the kitchen table looking pensive. Jake and Seth were wrapped up in each other on the long couch trying to ignore the discord in the house. You could cut the air with a knife.

"What happened?" I said quietly to Edward, worried that he'd been in a fight with his brother. I hadn't noticed any marks on Edward's face on the journey over here.

Before he could answer, Jake piped up, "Sam's fist had a disagreement with Emmett's face." Both he and Seth sniggered.

"He had it coming to him," Sam said seriously. "Emmett had no right to tell you about Edward's past."

"So Edward hit him?" I asked.

Sam shook his head.

"No, Edward was just ranting and raving at him for interfering once again. I told him so as well, but Emmett disagreed, saying he was only protecting his younger brother." Sam's eyes flitted between Edward and me.

"Sam, you don't have to stand up for me anymore. I can look after myself," Edward said firmly but softly. I could tell by their interaction they still obviously had some feelings for each other. "But I agree with you, I should have been the one to tell Jasper about my past when I felt the time was right."

I couldn't believe Sam had hit Emmett during their argument. And Edward wasn't happy about it either. Most likely because Edward wasn't allowed to stand up for himself rather than his brother being hurt and punched in the face by Sam.

I felt very uncomfortable and was about to suggest that Edward take me back to my room, but then his hand pressed on the small of my back, encouraging me to move towards the armchair.

"Jasper, you sit here while I heat up a little something for us all to eat. I made a fish pie last week and froze it for emergencies. You do like fish pie, don't you, sunshine?" he said as he took the crutches from me. I nodded my approval with a smile as well. Our fingers brushed slightly. His smile seemed to say he enjoyed the warmth of our contact as much as I did.

Edward pottered in the kitchen while I chatted to Jake and Seth about all sorts of things, from sport to television shows. All the time, I was trying to follow the conversation between Edward and Sam in the kitchen. Pangs of jealousy gnawed at me. Sam had kissed Edward before and I wondered what else they had done together. I kept reminding myself they were not together anymore and Sam appeared okay with me being here.

We all sat around the table to eat another one of Edward's magnificent culinary dishes. Jake and Seth were on one side of the table and Edward sat between Sam and me on the opposite side. We tucked in and it was quiet for a minute or two.

Our conversation, when it started, avoided all talk of Emmett, much to my relief.

"So what do you have planned for the weekend?" I threw in a general question as a starter.

"Embry is coming up to visit us or should I say Sam?" Seth answered first.

I must have looked a little puzzled. That was the first time I'd heard the name.

"He's from our reservation back home," Jake responded next. "But he decided to start work rather than carry on his education. We haven't seen him for a couple of weeks."

I pondered about the earlier reference to Sam and hoped Embry would distract Sam away from Edward.

"Embry's my boyfriend, Jasper," Sam said, looking at me. "We've been together about six months now. It was a difficult choice to leave him, but we are prepared to be apart for a few weeks at a time."

Edward got up to take some plates to the kitchen, but before he did so, he rested his hands on Sam's shoulders and bent down to speak into his ear. He didn't whisper so we all heard what he said. "Poor baby, you're missing him so much, aren't you?"

Sam nodded and Edward hugged him from behind. Relief and jealousy mingled together. I was relieved Sam was spoken for but jealous that Edward was still in physical contact with a previous boyfriend.

Jake and Seth volunteered to clear up the rest of the dishes and the kitchen. Edward excused himself for a bathroom visit, which left Sam and me at the table.

"So, Jasper, you seem to be a magnet for trouble. I mean that spat with your ex in the coffee shop and now Emmett."

"I didn't mean to cause any trouble!"

"I'm sure you didn't. Do you think this James guy will come back again for you? I hear he'd been looking for you for a while. It must have been serious between you two at some time." He looked at me with his piercing dark brown eyes.

I didn't really want to give him a rundown on my relationship with James, but felt he was due some explanation.

"We were together for over six months. Everything was great at first, but he became very possessive. I wasn't even allowed to talk to other guys without him blowing a fuse when we were alone. We would always make up, but it became too much when this happened after I just looked at another guy. He became more and more aggressive. James got rough with me although he never actually hit me. I think it would only have been a matter of time, though. We split a few months before I came to college and I did a good job of avoiding him until now. I don't think he even wants me. He just doesn't want me to be with anyone else. He'll get over it, I'm sure."

"I hope he does, especially if you and Edward get together. I wouldn't want anything to happen to Edward because of you. I still care for him. You know, that don't you?"

That much was obvious so I nodded. "Do you think Edward and I have a chance?" I spoke as quietly as I could so Jake and Seth didn't hear me.

Sam's smile spread across his face, "You two are meant to be together. You're just what Edward needs. In fact, you're perfect for each other."

My heart pounded as he said these words, but I managed to smile. "And are you okay with it?" I asked, just to be sure.

"Of course I am, Jasper. Go for it."

And before I could ask him anything else, Edward appeared at the doorway to the living room. He glanced at the table and kitchen area, probably to make sure it was all clean and tidy. Then he unashamedly said, "Right then, hun. Let's go to my room now."

The blood rushed to my face as well as my dick at the same time. I tried to act blasé and not appear too eager at his request.

Sam flinched slightly at his words; his eyes and mouth gave him away. I wondered if Sam still secretly held a candle for Edward and whether he wanted to be more than just friends with him. I also wondered once again how intimate they had been in their short relationship. I didn't like the thought of Edward being affectionate with anyone else and felt twinges of jealousy, despite his words of encouragement a few moments ago.

Seth looked at the two of us and raised his eyebrows.

Edward rolled his eyes as he helped pass me my crutches. "You have a filthy mind, Seth. We're just going to play some tunes on my guitars."

Seth raised his hands as if in surrender and shook his head. "I didn't say a word."

"No, but your face told me what you were thinking, honey." He smirked and led the way to his room.

I flopped down on a beanbag in Edward's room and dumped my crutches to the side of me. Edward picked them up again and placed them neatly in the corner of his bedroom. He took out a guitar from its case and passed it to me. I started to play a little while Edward got himself set up with another guitar. He sat on the edge of his bed facing me and joined in. We drifted into _our song_ almost straight away. The more I heard it, the more I was growing to love that piece of music.

"It's fantastic!"

Edward smiled as he continued to play. The music was truly beautiful. And he was beautiful, too.

I became engrossed in the way his long fingers plucked and played the strings of the guitar. I studied his gorgeous profile and eventually focused on his very kissable lips. They parted slightly as he concentrated on his music, and every so often, the tip of his tongue peaked out or brushed across the top of his teeth. My urge to be closer to him increased and I adjusted my jeans to shift my hardening flesh away from the zip. In the end, I dragged my focus away from his face and looked at the guitar, I willing my erection to subside.

After a while, he changed the song to something else I recognized. The tune to _Dust in the Wind_ filled the space between us.

"What made you choose that?" I asked when he stopped.

"I heard in on TV last night," he said. "I watched an old episode of Highlander. Have you ever followed that series?"

I shook my head. "No, I can only recall seeing the films. 'There can be only one,'" I mimicked the catchphrase in Sean Connery's Scottish accent.

"You know the Highlander character is immortal, but his human lover was murdered in the episode I saw. They played this song as he reacted to her death and the loneliness that followed. It had me in tears for ages afterward." Edward was quite subdued and serious as he spoke.

"Yeah, the saddest part of the first film for me was when his lover grew old and then died. Whereas, he was destined to stay the same forever."

"I always like to think they would be together again one day, if not in body, then some sort of essence or spirit. I hope true soul mates eventually have their souls joined forever." The way Edward looked at me sent a shiver down my spine. I felt he wasn't just talking about some random television characters.

"Wow, Edward, that's a beautiful thought. But a bit heavy, don't you think?"

He flashed me another one of his glorious sexy smiles. "Sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to get too morose. What shall we talk about instead?" And as soon as the words left his mouth, he must have remembered that he'd promised to tell me about his past. His eyes dropped from my gaze and he looked quite nervous as he fiddled with his guitar's tuning pegs.

"It's okay, Edward. You don't have to tell me anything," I said, but deep down I wished he would confide in me.

"I want to tell you, Jasper, I really do." He twirled the stud in his ear round and round. "It's just that… I've tried to forget that day and Emmett and the other guys keep reminding me of it. I want to go forward and act like it never happened."

I studied him for a few moments. "Edward, really you don't have to tell me. But you probably need to accept that it's had a big effect on you." I wanted to go over and hug him close to my chest. He looked like he needed some comfort and I wanted to feel his warmth against my body.

I struggled to get up off the beanbag and regretted plonking myself down on it in the first place. I should have gone for the chair by his desk instead. I ended up rolling onto all fours and then shuffled over to Edward on my bended knees. Even before I got to him, he was laughing at my antics.

"Why didn't you ask me to pass your crutches, sweetheart?" He grinned. "You'll wear a hole in your jeans doing that."

He was back to his chirpy self once more. I knelt about a meter before him. Thinking about Sam's words of encouragement, I felt emboldened. I wanted to let Edward know exactly how I felt about him. I didn't want to wait until our date in a few days or weeks time.

"Edward, it doesn't matter to me. You can tell me if and when you want. It won't make any difference to how I feel about you." I turned the mood back to serious again. I was poised near to his knees, but as his guitar was still between us, I took hold of it and rested it against the bed. Understanding my intention, Edward hooked one of my belt loops with his nimble fingers and tugged me closer to him.

I realized this was the reverse position of our first pretend kiss. Edward had been standing between my thighs that time.

He was even more breathtakingly beautiful close up like this. Dark, long lashes framed his eyes. His lips were plump and just asking to be claimed by my mouth. Edward placed both hands on my hips and pulled me to him. I bravely placed one hand on his shoulder and the other held his face. I traced circles lightly over his cheek with my thumb and my fingers started to weave into the silky hair at the back of his neck.

Our faces tilted closer; our eyes darted to the other's lips and back again as we bridged the gap between us. And just before we touched, his eyelids actually fluttered like I'd imagined they had the first time. He was so adorable. I wanted to do so much more that just kiss his succulent mouth.

Our first touch was so delicate it felt like a feather brush, brief but soft. Edward pulled away a little before moving back for more. I opened my mouth to receive him, but a sudden loud banging at his bedroom door jolted us.

We pulled apart instantly, our hands remaining on each other.

"Edward, it's Emmett," he bellowed, as if we didn't know. "Can I have a word with you two downstairs? I think I need to apologize for my behavior." He didn't open the door, but I sensed he was waiting for a reply.

Edward and I just looked at each other for a moment. He sighed before replying, "We'll be down in a minute, Emmett."


	5. Chapter 5

**Always**

**Chapter Five**

**JPOV**

"_Edward! It's Emmett," he bellowed, as if we didn't know. "Can I have a word with you two downstairs? I think I need to apologize for my behavior." He didn't open the door, but I sensed he was waiting for a reply._

_Edward and I looked at each other for a moment. He sighed heavily before replying, "We'll be down in a minute."_

Edward smiled softly at me, held my face with one hand, and our lips connected briefly once again. He tilted forward so our foreheads touched. "I suppose we'd better go downstairs before he comes back again," Edward said quietly. "Here, let me help you get up, Jay." I really liked it when he shortened my name.

He put his hand under my elbow and I pushed off from my good leg so he didn't have to take all my weight. I rocked back and forth while the blood settled in my legs, and Edward fetched the crutches for me. "I'll be glad when I'm walking properly," I huffed, trying not to feel embarrassed after our short, intimate moment.

"Then we can go out on our date, can't we, hun?" Edward winked, then kissed my cheek. He twirled round and headed for the door swaying his hips before I could reply.

He led the way downstairs to the living room. I followed him almost as quickly. I could just about manage with one crutch now.

Emmett was alone in the room pacing up and down, waiting for us. I was surprised Riley wasn't shadowing him as he usually was and wondered what had caused Emmett's sudden change of heart. Deciding to keep the weight off my aching leg, I sat down but the other two remained standing, neither of them looking relaxed in the slightest.

Emmett's cheek and eye had a distinct bruised look to it now and his lip seemed more swollen than before. I felt guilty for causing him pain and thought I owed him an apology too. I should have kept my promise to keep quiet and not let anything slip, but there again, I didn't want to deceive Edward.

Emmett looked uncomfortable as he faced his brother. "I'm very sorry, Edward. Sorry for interfering and telling Jasper what only you had the right to tell him." He cleared his throat. "And I apologize for doing it in the past as well."

Edward stood there, his arms crossed in front of him as he mulled over his brother's words, but giving no real clue as to what he was thinking. He nodded slowly before placing his hands on his hips. "What I can't understand is why you told Jay in the first place, Em."

There was another pause as a puzzled then knowing look swept Emmett's face.

"I don't think it was because you were trying to protect me from Jay." Edward continued in an animated manner, using his hands to help him talk. "Were you trying to put him off me for some reason?" Edward challenged him, his voice rising. I hadn't seen him looking so bold and menacing before.

"What?" Emmett's voice sounded quite agitated, but his faced flushed and gave him away.

"Well, ever since you introduced us all to Jay, you seem to have done your utmost to keep the two of us apart."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Emmett shouted, flinging his arms into the air and looking frustrated as well.

I never liked arguments at the best of times and could feel myself starting to get upset with the aggressive atmosphere. Edward's eyes caught mine and he obviously sensed my sudden distress. He walked over to me, his hips swaying, and sat down beside me on the couch. Taking my hand in his, he brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. "Shush, babe. It's okay," he whispered, looking me in the eyes, "I'm here for you, Jay. Don't worry." A warm fuzzy feeling flooded me because of his thoughtfulness and concern.

Edward waited until I calmed down before he confidently turned back to his brother and continued his train of thought. "Let me explain for you, Emmett," he said, keeping his voice even and the volume down. "If you recall, originally Sam was going to the coffee shop with all of you on Friday evening, but at the last minute he dropped out and I decided to tag along instead."

"Yes, but what's that got to do with anything?" Emmett barked back.

"You warned me off Jay before we got to the coffee shop, if you remember," Edward bristled slightly. "You actually told me to leave him alone, but you never said why."

"But I certainly wasted my time yet again. You chose to ignore me like you usually do."

Edward smiled at me as if he remembered the evening and his obvious flirting with me. Perhaps he even thought of our very first kiss.

But evidently Edward had something on his mind and was stubbornly pursuing his line of argument as he turned back to Emmett. "So why did you invite Jay to join us for coffee in the first place?"

Emmett answered immediately. "I told you, he looked lost and lonely sitting all by himself in the lecture room. He's gay, in a new town, away from his friends and family, so I thought he could do with some support… and company."

"Any other reason, Emmett?" His eyes pierced into his brother's.

Emmett paused for a second. "Okay, okay… I thought perhaps Jay would be good company for Sam as he's brooding so much while he's away from Embry."

As soon as these words left Emmett's mouth, Edward was fuming in a rage. "I really can't believe what you do sometimes. Did you expect Sam to be unfaithful to Embry? For God's sake, Emmett, do you even think before you act? And what about Jay? Did you give him any idea what was going through your mind when you invited him out with us?"

I tried to soothe Edward by rubbing my thumb over the quivering hand I was holding, but he pulled his hand from mine as he stood up to face his brother. "So you invited him over here on Sunday in the hope that Sam would hook up with him and you did your best to keep us apart while he was here at the barbecue? I knew you were up to something and it wasn't about looking after or protecting me. You know Jay wouldn't even hurt a fly."

They were standing inches away from each other now and I hoped neither of them would lash out. I doubted if Edward would stand much of a chance against his more muscular brother and I definitely didn't want either of them to get hurt on my account.

Fortunately, Emmett seemed to back down. His head hung a little lower and he shrugged one shoulder. "Look, I'm sorry… both of you," he said, looking at me as well. "I admit I didn't think it through properly… I just thought you and Sam could both do with a friend and a bit of company. That's all. I didn't mean any harm."

I was beginning to feel sorry for Emmett. He had only been trying to help a friend out.

Edward had other ideas. He still had a lot more to say and wasn't going to let this drop. "Surely, you could tell I was interested in Jay from the moment I met him and yet you still did your best to keep us apart or restrict our alone time… just like you've done this evening."

"And whose fault is that? I didn't think you would make such a big deal out of all of this. If you'd accepted my apology straight away, you could be upstairs again with him right now," Emmett replied, disdain written across his face.

"Emmett, it is a big deal to me and that's what you don't get. You try to keep us apart and then for some unknown reason you tell Jay about my past when you had no right to. Did you really think he would lose interest in me because I had been… attacked by those guys?" Edward's voice wavered and his confidence seemed to diminish slightly. He flashed a look over at me again.

"I wanted to spare you any future upset, Ed," Emmett started, "I realized by then that there was some sort of connection between the two of you. So yes, I was hoping to protect you from any future hurt. You know it's happened in the past."

"Once, Em, just once with Taylor. You make it sound like I've had hundreds of boyfriends." Edward turned to me. "Jay… I've only had two proper boyfriends, Sam and Taylor. I don't chase after other guys even if I seem to give that impression. You know I enjoy flirting with other guys and having fun that way, but I'm not the slut Emmett tries to make out that I am."

I nodded at him, a little relieved that Emmett had misinterpreted his brother's behavior.

"Look, Eddie—" Emmett started.

"Emmett, you know I don't like it when you call me that," Edward warned him, almost through gritted teeth.

Emmett huffed and started again. "Edward, I'm sorry. Really I am. I don't want there to be bad feelings between us and I've apologized to Sam as well. I truly deserved this shiner from him," he said, pointing to his swollen face. "I've been such an arse. I realize that now. Please can we forget about everything, if I promise to be on my best behavior from now on?" The naughty smile on his face told me the friction between the two brothers was easing down.

Edward ran his fingers through his hair, closed his eyes briefly, and by the time he opened them again his face seemed to reflect the forgiveness he was about to impart. He sashayed the short distance between the two of them and they embraced in a brotherly hug. They both muttered incoherent words into the other's ears and pulled slightly apart, smiling at each other.

"Love you," Emmett said quietly.

"Love you too, sweetie." Edward beamed back at him and then gave him another tight hug.

The tension in the room lifted, and almost immediately, Riley and Sam walked into the living room. I wondered if they'd been listening on the other side of the door, as their timing was perfect. I also wondered whether Sam had ever been aware of Emmett's matchmaking plans. For a few seconds, I considered whether there would have even been a chance for Sam and me, if Edward and Embry had not been in the picture. I didn't really come to any conclusions because it was a non-starter anyway. All I wanted was to be with Edward, so no one else was going to get a look in.

Sam didn't give much away. He marched stony-faced over to the fridge and pulled out some beers. He handed them round, but Edward and I declined, going for water instead.

I wanted nothing more than to go back to Edward's room and continue where we'd left off before Emmett had interrupted us and hoped Edward felt the same way. Instead, though, we all sat in the living room chatting about nothing much in particular. Each of us probably felt it was necessary to smooth out the discord from the previous few hours. Edward sat close to me on the long couch, our thighs and sides touching, so I was content with that. Emmett and Riley sat at the other end of the couch. Riley appeared to be sulking even though Emmett was doing his best to be attentive by holding him against his chest. Sam sat by himself in the armchair.

After a few minutes, Jake and Seth came down the stairs looking flushed, making it obvious what they'd been doing. They settled down on the floor with Seth sitting between Jake's open thighs. He rested his chin on Seth's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. They looked happy together and oblivious of the storm that had been raging in the room moments before. I wished Edward would hold me in a similar loving embrace and I longed for the time when we could demonstrate our affection for each other in front of everyone else.

I didn't have to wait for long, however, for as the evening wore on, Edward's fingers and hands wandered closer to mine. At one point, our hands were a matter of inches from each other, resting on our thighs. He stretched out and wriggled his hands, and as he did so, his little finger brushed against mine. He left them touching softly for a few minutes before stroking slowly against my skin. I was totally mesmerized by the feel of our connection. I tried not to stare, thinking it would draw everyone's attention to his subtle movements.

I glanced around to everyone in the room, but they were apparently unaware of the amazing event that was taking place in my life. I had no idea where the conversation headed and hoped no one asked me a direct question because I'd not really followed what had been said over for the past few minutes. My breathing even hitched up a notch. If being this aroused by sitting close to Edward with just our hands touching I couldn't imagine the effect of us lying naked together would have on me. I would probably combust.

Edward sniggered quietly and I dared a quick glance in his direction. He knew what he was doing to me and could sense the reaction I was having. He gave me a cheeky smile and boldly took my hand into both of his. Pulling my eyes from his gaze, I caught Sam looking at the two of us and he responded with a slight smile. Then he winked at me and I giggled back at him.

"What are we missing over there?" Jake piped up.

"Wouldn't you like to know, hun?" Edward's gave my hand a squeeze.

Jake eyed our linked hands and returned a smile to us as well. He whispered into Seth's ear, whose eyes drifted to our hands.

"About time too," he said to Jake, but we all heard him.

My face flushed slightly, but I was too happy to feel embarrassed. I snuggled closer to Edward and he put one arm across my shoulders, while keeping his other hand entwined in mine. I nestled into the crook of his neck and twisted my body slightly to face him.

"God, I can't wait for Embry to arrive on Friday. I'm definitely the odd man out now. I'm surrounded by three happy, snuggling couples," Sam jested, but deep down I thought he was serious. He clearly missed Embry and it must have been awkward for him seeing three horny couples seated in the same room as him.

I didn't want to move though. I felt perfectly happy in Edward's arms. Everyone else, including Edward, continued with the conversation while I relished the contact between us. Every time Edward spoke, his voice resonated through his chest into my ears. I rubbed the bright pink patterns on his t-shirt. He continued to stroke my hand rhythmically, and my eyelids drooped the more relaxed I became within his warm arms.

The next thing I knew, Edward was coaxing me gently. "Hey, Jay, wake up. Let's get you back to your room before you fall into a deep sleep." He unfurled his arms from my back as he sat me up. I stretched my body in an attempt to wake myself up. I quickly glanced around the room and noticed everyone else was still in their same positions.

"What time is it?"

"It's only around ten, but you were totally out of it, sunshine." Edward smiled at me as he stood. "I'll shoot upstairs and get the rest of your things."

I wanted to go with him, but Edward spun around and was on the stairs before I could follow him.

Emmett got up next. He scooped up the mugs from the coffee table and headed towards the kitchen with them. When he was standing by the sink, he called me over. I struggled to my feet with the aid of the solitary crutch I had by my side. My leg was completely relaxed and I was pleased to find that I could put the whole of my foot down onto the floor now without wincing. Making my way over to Emmett, I wondered what he was going to say to me.

The living and kitchen area was an open-plan design so everyone had a complete view of us. I wanted to apologize to Emmett for dropping him in it with Edward and his friends, but didn't want everyone else to hear my words.

"No hard feelings, Jasper." He extended his hand out to me. I took it thankfully and he pulled me in for an unexpected hug. I wrapped one arm around his back to support myself as much as anything.

"Sorry you got injured because of me," I whispered into his ear. "I didn't think before I spoke, it just came out."

"No worries, Jay. Now you take care of my baby brother and promise me you'll be gentle with him." He smirked at me. "You're just what he needs right now." He hugged me firmly against his solid chest and kissed the top of my head. As he released me, I realized Edward was standing at the bottom of the stairs with my second crutch and jacket.

"Well, looks like I'm going to have to keep my eye on you from now on, sweetheart, if this is what you do as soon as my back is turned," he said, with a serious face. I was about to blurt out an explanation when his face cracked and he started smiling. "Come here, hun. I was only joking." Edward opened his arms to me and closed the gap between us. I pulled out of Emmett's arms, and shot straight into his. "That's better isn't it? Just don't make a habit of hugging my brother when I'm not around, Jay," Edward said to me before turning to everyone else. "Right, I'll see you guys later. I'm taking Jay back now."

"We won't wait up for you," Seth teased. "See you tomorrow, Jay." He winked at me and everyone else bid me goodnight.

Edward helped me on with my jacket and we made our way to his car. I was definitely walking with less of a limp now and hardly needed the support of the crutch.

Edward noticed and commented on this. I smiled at him, then sat myself in the car and buckled up.

"So where are you going to take me for our first proper date?" he asked once we were on the road.

"I don't know many places around here yet," I admitted. "Where would you like to go?"

"You invited me, so I'll let you choose, hun."

"Thanks for the help… It will have to be a surprise then." I winked at him. "Can we go out on Saturday? I think I should be walking and driving by then."

He nodded with a smile. "I've got nothing planned all day, sweetie, so I'm all yours." His words almost turned my insides to mush.

"Well, I'll have a think and let you know." That would give me a few days to sort out something special. I wanted our first date to be memorable.

Edward parked up his car but gave no indication that he was going to get out with me.

"Are you coming up?" I asked tentatively.

He paused briefly before saying, "It's getting late and you need to get your beauty sleep, sweetie. And besides you're walking fine without me now."

I felt disappointed yet relieved at the same time. I wanted to kiss Edward goodnight, but the thought of being alone with him in my room made me suddenly feel a little apprehensive. I was determined to keep my promise to Emmett this time and be gentle with him. We needed to talk through a lot of things before we became intimate, and until we did so, it was probably best not to be tempted by too much alone time with him.

As I mulled over my response, Edward leaned in for a kiss. He cupped my face and his lips puckered slightly. I closed my eyes as his moist lips moved over mine. He was sweet and affectionate, just as I expected him to be. We hummed our appreciation at the connection, neither of us willing to pull away. The kiss intensified and Edward lapped his tongue against mine. I responded by pulling him closer and trailing a series of kisses along his jaw up to his ear.

"Goodnight, Edward," I muttered softly and nipped his earlobe.

He groaned. "Mmm… goodnight, Jay. Hope you sleep well."

We gave each other another few more pecks on the lips before I pulled away from him and opened the car door.

"I'll try driving myself to college tomorrow," I offered. "So I'll see you at lunchtime perhaps."

"Give me a call before half past eight if you feel you're not up to it, sweetie. In fact, just give me a call anyway. I don't want to have to wait until lunchtime to hear your voice." He smiled and gazed into my eyes. I felt sure I looked just as lovesick as he did.

It took another couple of minutes and a few more short kisses before I eventually prized myself away from him.

As I closed the car door and waved goodbye to Edward, some familiar faces from my dorm corridor passed me by and we walked into the building together. One of them asked me where I'd been that evening. I replied happily, "I've been at my boyfriend's house."


	6. Chapter 6

Always

Chapter Six

**JPOV**

_As I closed the car door and waved goodbye to Edward, some familiar faces from my dorm corridor passed me by and we walked into the building together. One of them asked me where I'd been that evening. I replied happily, "I've been at my boyfriend's house."_

A few eyebrows twitched at my words and eyes averted to the ground. Only one person, who I recalled seeing in the communal kitchen, continued with the conversation.

"Cool. How long have you been together?" He seemed genuinely interested. I had a feeling he also batted for the other team.

"Only a few days," I replied and he smiled in return.

We exchanged a few more pleasantries by the time we got to my room.

As I shut the door behind me, I felt relieved that these guys were accepting of my same-sex relationship even if some of them were a little embarrassed. I looked forward to inviting Edward over as my boyfriend and felt we wouldn't get any hassle from these lads on my dorm corridor.

~O~

My alarm woke me with a jolt from a deep sleep the following morning. It had been the best night's rest I'd had since starting college. I dozed a little longer, thinking about Edward, and left entering the shower until the last possible moment.

I had just finished getting dressed and was about to give Edward a call, when my phone rang. Assuming it was Edward, I answered chirpily, only to be slightly disappointed when I heard my father's voice. He kept me talking for a while. His reason for calling was to invite me out for a meal that evening as he was in the area for the day on business. Since I'd not called home during the last week or so, he thought we could catch up on what I'd been doing recently. All the time, I willed him to end our conversation so I could speak to Edward.

By the time I'd finished talking to him, I was running very late and didn't have a few minutes spare to call Edward. I decided to text him instead on the way down to my car. I was thrilled because I was walking much better today. This was going to make Saturday easier for me.

I really wanted to speak to Edward, to hear his voice as well as to reassure him I was driving as well as walking fine. I tried calling him as I left my car, only to be diverted to his messaging service, but didn't want to leave him a voicemail. I walked as fast as I could and only just made it to my lecture in time. I turned my phone to silent and continued to check for a response from him every ten minutes or so.

The morning passed surprisingly quickly. My history sessions were fascinating and I got involved in various animated discussions.

As I left the lecture room, an exuberant and excited Edward greeted me from a distance. He bounced around, waving his arms in an attempt to catch my attention. I think nearly everyone else saw him as he almost galloped towards me, especially as he was wearing a great big fluffy, almost hairy, grey jacket.

"Hey, Jasper! I missed you calling me this morning," he gushed as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Hi, Edward," I said quietly as he kissed the side of my head. My face flushed and I tried not to look at the people who were giving us obvious glances.

"Hun, are you all right?" he asked, totally ignoring the tutting I could clearly hear around us. "Are you okay with this?" He motioned with his hand between the two of us.

I nodded but pulled away from him slightly and walked slowly, hoping he would walk beside me. "Mmm… I'm surprised how easy I found driving this morning. Walking is still a little difficult... but hey, I've managed so far by myself."

"I thought you were going to call me before you left to let me know how you were doing?" He looked truly disappointed.

"Sorry, Edward. I wanted to, but I got up late and then my dad called. Didn't you get my text?"

"I did… I just wanted to hear your voice, hun, that's all," he said as he nudged closely against me again. The soft fur texture of his jacket brushed against my bare skin, sending a warm tingle through my slightly chilled body. He slid his hand into mine as we walked along together.

We made our way to the cafeteria and met up with the other guys, who greeted us warmly. I managed to carry my tray of food to the table without spilling anything. Edward followed close behind me with his tray and I wondered if he was there to rescue me in case I had an accident. We sat down next to each other and he started asking me about the conversation I'd had with my father earlier. I explained that he was in town on business and that he'd invited me out for dinner that evening.

"So I won't be seeing you tonight, then?" he asked, seemingly a little put out. "Can't I tag along and meet your father?" I was growing to love the way in which he pouted his lips.

As much as I wanted to see Edward this evening, I had yet to tell my family about him. "Perhaps next time," I offered. "I haven't told him about us and we haven't even been out on a proper date yet, Edward. We don't know how things will turn out between us." It was a feeble excuse and I knew it.

"And you think I might change my mind about you after Saturday?" Edward said, with a smirk of sorts.

"I hope not," I said seriously, putting my hand on his arm.

He still had his furry jacket on. "Aren't you warm in this Yeti suit?" I teased, trying to lighten things between us.

"You don't like my designer jacket?" he responded in mock offence, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Er… to be honest, Edward," I started to say but, when his face really fell, I stopped.

To my relief, Seth interrupted us. "Are you two lovebirds up for a visit to Nineveh City tomorrow night? Even Sam says he'll be bringing Embry along."

I looked at Edward for some sort of explanation. "Apparently it's the best gay nightclub around here, sweetie. A bit like Babylon in 'Queer as Folk' or so I hear. Not entirely my scene, but if you're up for it, babe, then I'm game."

I would have thought it was entirely up Edward's street and wondered why he seemed reluctant to go there. "I'm sure we'll have a great time with all the other guys being there with us," I encouraged him.

He accepted that it would probably be fun. "I'll just have to hope you won't be tempted by all the hot men you'll see there. Apart from me that is," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

At the end of our lunchtime, Edward walked me to my next lecture and gave me a quick goodbye kiss on the lips. "Call me tonight when you get back, hun," he requested with a slight tilt to his head. As he walked away from me he turned back and called, "Missing you already, babe."

I knew I would miss seeing him that evening as well, but I focused on the weekend ahead of us when we could be together as much as we wanted. I was a little nervous about seeing my father, but I was determined to tell him about Edward and my new gay friends.

I managed to get quite a lot of work completed after my class, which resulted in me arriving a few minutes late at the restaurant to meet my father. He was already seated at a secluded table for two when I joined him. Our conversation flowed easily. I told him about my college course and how I'd settled into life away from home. Not wanting to leave the most important piece of information until the end of the evening, I braced myself for his reaction.

"I've met some great friends already, Dad," I started confidently. "They all share a house together near the college."

"That's good, son." He seemed genuinely pleased that I wasn't on my own in an unfamiliar town.

"And I've started seeing one of them," I said as slowly as possible so he understood. "His name is Edward."

For a few seconds, his face showed no reaction at all and I was unsure how this was going to pan out. "Well, I hope he treats you with more respect than that James guy did. Are you sure this Edward is all right?" he asked, showing concern for my wellbeing. He accepted the fact that I was gay, but showed neither approval nor condemnation about my gay relationships. I should have known he would be okay with this. He'd never taken to James and obviously hoped Edward was nothing like him.

"Yes, he's a great guy. He's looked after me and been a great help this week. He's smart, a creative cook, and an amazing musician," I gushed. I wanted to say something else about his personality, but I was reluctant to mention Edward's rather flamboyant nature. I recounted some of the times I'd spent with Edward over the past week and my father listened intently and with interest as I spoke about him.

I left my father with a promise to call home to update my mother as well. As soon as I got back to my room, I called her and practically had the same conversation I'd had with my father earlier in the evening. However, she reacted more positively, and eagerly invited Edward to stay when I returned home in a few weeks time.

It was past nine o'clock by the time I finally called Edward.

He answered immediately. "Hi there, Jasper. Did you have a good evening?"

I sat on my bed and closed my eyes, trying to picture his face as he spoke to me. He really had the most beautiful voice. I could have listened to him talking all night. I tried to imagine him sitting next to me and holding me in his arms just as he had done the previous evening. Edward told me what he'd been doing since he left me that afternoon and I recounted my evening's events for him. Neither of us seemed eager to end the call, so we chatted about random things.

"Tell me what happened with James," Edward said, suddenly changing the subject.

And because I didn't want to withhold anything from him, I went into quite a lot of detail. As I was talking, I hoped my frankness would encourage Edward to open up to me about his past, too.

"I met James almost a year ago at a friend's party. We got talking. He came on to me almost straight away and became my first proper long-term boyfriend soon after that. We were together for over six months and I stayed over at his place a few nights each week." I paused while I decided how much to tell Edward. I didn't feel comfortable discussing my sexual activity yet, so I skipped over that part.

"We got on really well at first. He's six years older than me and I looked to him for support and guidance when I came out to my parents. After a few months, he started becoming moody and possessive. It got to the stage where I couldn't talk to other guys without him becoming angry and losing his temper. When we were alone he would intimidate and verbally abuse me, but then after a few hours, he would apologize profusely and we would always make up. However, it became more frequent and even if I just looked at another guy, he would lose it. He became more and more aggressive as well when we were alone. I lost my best friend because of him. I really thought he was going to hit me sometimes. After one serious falling out, I finally decided to call it 'a day' and we split up. He kept calling me for weeks afterwards, but I refused to talk to him. My father also refused to let him in the house and sent him packing when he knocked on our door late one night. That was a few months before I came to college and I hadn't seen him until the other night at the coffee bar. I don't think he ever really loved me, but for some reason, he didn't want me to be with anyone else."

I shuddered at the memory of my relationship and my stupidity for staying with James for so long.

I had the feeling that Edward wanted to ask me something else but was holding back. I gave him a few seconds before continuing to speak. "So are you going to tell me about your... boyfriends?" I asked tentatively.

"Soon Jasper... I promise, but I'd rather do it when we're face-to-face." He sighed heavily. I didn't want to push him. Edward would tell me when he was ready.

We chatted a while longer before eventually saying goodnight.

I decided to stay in my room all day on Friday to get ahead with the work due in the following week and made excellent headway with my studying. I felt excited about that evening's trip to the gay club and the fact that Edward and I would be going as a couple. Perhaps we could count it as our first date after all. He sent me numerous texts about the evening throughout the day and I got this wonderful feeling he wanted to keep in contact with me all the time. In between studying and replying to Edward's texts, I managed to sort out and book a table for us at a restaurant for the following evening. I wanted to make the day really memorable and special for him, so I tried to think of something else we could also do in the afternoon. I'd written off the morning because I expected to be sleeping in after a late night out clubbing.

It took me a little while to decide what to wear. Edward had texted me to tell me to wear as little as possible because we'd probably get hot while dancing among other heated bodies. After much indecision, I chose a dark vest top and lightweight chinos. Edward had described what he'd be wearing and there was no way I would ever compete with that.

The boys decided we would ride to Nineveh City in two cars rather than relying on cabs. Emmett would drive one and collect me along with Riley and Edward. We were going to park up and then meet the rest of the boys inside the nightclub. I was already waiting for them on the pavement when his car pulled up. I hopped onto the backseat and snuggled up near to Edward straight away.

I took in Edward's sexy appearance. His copper hair had been trimmed slightly and styled in a manner that really suited him—still bedraggled but stunning. He was wearing a silver t-shirt that looked like it had been slashed open across his collarbone. He looked deliciously hot. I leaned in to kiss his exposed skin. He pulled me to his side and I took in his gorgeous scent. I nuzzled his smooth, chiseled jaw and nipped the skin behind his ear. "Missed you lots," I murmured softly.

Emmett looked at us via the rearview mirror and smirked. "Leave it out, you two, or at least wait until we get to Nineveh City."

Riley turned around sharply to look at us, so I reluctantly sat up and took Edward's hand in mine. He squeezed it firmly and whispered loudly so everyone could hear, "I can't wait until we're dancing together, sweetie."

Emmett replied, "They have a back room as well if you want to do more than just dance." He guffawed at his own statement and wiggled his eyebrows amorously.

"Why would we want to make out in public like that?" Edward said, suddenly sounding very prudish.

Emmett shook his head at his brother, but did not say anything else to wind him up.

Edward whispered into my ear so only I could hear, "When we make love, Jasper, I want it to be very special and totally private. I don't want anyone watching us."

His voice and breath washed over me, causing a ripple of shivers to run down my spine. I was perfectly happy to leave any serious making-out to the privacy of our own rooms, and relished the fact that he was also considering this.

Thankfully, the journey wasn't too long and we were soon heading towards the bar to meet up with the rest of the guys. We were the first to arrive and Edward bought the first round of drinks—a strange-looking red cocktail concoction—while we waited for them.

As he handed me my drink, Edward lifted an eyebrow and leaned close to my ear. "Enjoy!" His tongue peaked out as he raised the glass to his smiling lips.

We stood propping up the bar, watching the club around us slowly filling up with gay men. After about ten minutes, we heard Seth and Jake calling out to us before we even saw them approaching us across the dance floor. They wore similar skin-tight denim clothing that clung to their bodies. A happy-looking Sam, and presumably, Embry, trailed behind them hand-in-hand. Despite being perfectly content in Edward's warm arms, I was drawn to Embry's cute face as I checked him over. He was good-looking for sure, with lovely wide, brown eyes.

Sam introduced me to him and we greeted each other with a smile and a nod.

"So Edward's finally found someone to tame him, then?" Embry said jokingly.

"Why does everyone think I need taming?" Edward huffed and looked out sulkily into the crowds of gyrating men.

I pulled his face around to mine and kissed him firmly on the lips. "Wild thing," I growled into his mouth and my cock hardened. He chuckled at me and pushed his hips against mine.

"Only for you," he purred against my temple.

If we carried on like that, I would be dragging him into the back room, begging him to do something more to me than just kissing. "You have no idea what you do to me... or do you?" I challenged.

"I'm glad I affect you this way." He beamed at me.

He gripped me around the waist and pulled our hips together more firmly. We could both certainly feel each other's erections. "The feeling's mutual I see." I smirked and kissed him again.

Sam bought us all another strong drink and we stood chatting and commenting on the men around us, trying to be heard over the loud, pulsating music, which filled the club.

By the time we made it to the dance floor, we'd knocked back various drinks, and my knees felt a little shaky.

Sam and Embry stayed by the bar, clinging to each other, while the rest of us happily followed Seth and Jake into the hot and sweaty throng of dancing males.

Both Edward and I were a little self-conscious at first, so we kept our arms wrapped around each other and our eyes locked together. I'd desperately wanted to get my body close to his for days now, and with a lot of alcohol inside of me, my inhibitions were slipping away. If I stayed focused on him, I could block out the stares from the men who were grinding around us.

We danced smoothly together, our foreheads connected for much of the time. My arms draped around his neck, while his gripped my waist or hips. I sensed we were being watched but refused to search for the eyes I felt were bearing down on us.

Edward was, in fact, a great mover, making me feel perfectly at ease. Our lips connected—nothing too heavy—just a short soft kiss on the lips or cheeks every now and then. I wanted to wait until we were alone before we shared a truly passionate, unrestrained kiss.

When we'd had a few dances, we joined Sam and Embry at the bar again for another drink. Jake and Seth had disappeared and I assumed they were somewhere in the back room. After a while, Edward and Sam went to the men's room, leaving Embry and I to become better acquainted. Even though he was friendly, we were a little stuck for conversation, so I asked him if he wanted to dance. He accepted eagerly, saying he didn't know why Sam bothered bringing him here, as he never danced.

On the dance floor, Embry let go of his reticence. We danced closely but without our bodies touching. He used every part of his body as he moved seductively in front of me. His arms swayed in the air, head tilted back, lips apart and his hips rotated as he sank down slightly on his knees. His dancing was so erotic and attention grabbing. A space formed around us as our growing male audience turned to watch the pair of us performing. I tried to mirror Embry's moves as accurately as I could. The pulse of the music, along with the smell of turned-on men encouraged me to release the last of my shyness.

Embry moved around my body until he was breathing against my neck and across my shoulders. His warm breath prickled against my heated flesh and I closed my eyes to cut out the glares of the lust-filled men in front of me. His arms snaked around my waist and he started to grind his hard cock against my ass as he swayed his hips from side to side.

Despite the glorious feeling, I was sober enough to realize I shouldn't be in such a compromising position. It would hurt Edward if he saw another guy thrusting himself into me. Opening my eyes, I searched for Edward, hoping that I wasn't in his line of sight. Thankfully, I couldn't see Edward or Sam anywhere. Instead, what caught my eyes, however, sent a chill running through my very core. For in front of me, not twenty feet away, was James, my possessive ex-boyfriend. He was slumped against the metal staircase that led up to a viewing platform. His head tilted slightly to one side. He held a bottle of beer casually in one hand by his side. His dark, almost black eyes bore into mine, his face expressionless yet menacing at the same time. He had been the one watching me all evening.

I was all set to panic and run, when a new pair of arms wrapped around my waist. "Thanks, Embry, sweetie. I'll take over now." Edward pulled himself against my back. "Are you deliberately trying to make me jealous, Jasper?" he growled into my ear.

I twisted in his arms so I was facing him.

Freezing on the spot, he took in my countenance. "What's wrong, Jasper?"

I pulled myself to his chest and slipped my arms around him not wanting ever to let go. "James... he's behind me. Watching me," I rasped, fear in my voice.

Edward stilled completely, but not out of fear. He looked over my shoulder, his eyes scanning the crowd and I sensed when he found what he was looking for. He glared at James for a few seconds and then he looked back at me and smiled.

"Forget what I said earlier about not making-out in public. I want to do this now."

And with that, his lips crashed down on mine. One hand grabbed the back of my neck, holding me so I couldn't pull away. His tongue made its way into my mouth, and despite the blaring music all around us, I heard and felt the groan Edward made. He held his body flush to mine as we kissed passionately. I forgot about James and any other potential viewer, and immersed myself in Edward. This was our best kiss and I'm sure Edward was going all out to prove something to me. He showed no sign of wishing to pull away, so I continued. My mind eventually returned to James and I prayed that Sam and Emmett were nearby in case he decided to do something silly with the glass bottle he was holding. I also remembered seeing several men standing on the edge of the dance floor who were obviously bouncers, so I relaxed a little.

"I thought you weren't going to make out in public," Emmett boomed into our ears. Edward released my lips and glared at his brother. His eyes also scanned the room again for James.

"Is he still there?" I asked nervously.

"Yep… he's still there, babe." Edward stared over my shoulder.

"What are we going to do?"

Edward looked at me again. "If we go, then he has won, sweetie. Let's stay here and keep dancing. He won't try anything in this crowd." Edward massaged my shoulders, trying to soothe the tension.

"What if he follows us when we leave?" I started to panic again and fear blazed through me. "What if he followed us here and already knows where we live?"

Edward thought for a moment. "Stay here with Sam and Emmett," he requested, and walked over towards James.

My head was now spinning and sweat formed on my forehead. Sam and Embry took me in their arms. "He'll be okay, Jasper. Don't worry."

But, of course, I did. Edward was the love of my life and I didn't want to lose him in a club brawl.

We watched intently as Edward stood tall and defiantly in front of James. I sensed Emmett was preparing to move at a moment's notice and Sam edged closer to them as well. I couldn't hear, but it looked like Edward was confidently doing most of the talking. James glanced from Edward to me several times with a look of disdain on his face and then strolled away from him. Edward stayed with his back to us for a few seconds, but then twirled around and walked straight back to me. He took me in his arms and kissed me again.

When he pulled away, we danced slowly together, our heads side by side.

"What did you say to him?" I asked eventually.

"I explained the situation very clearly to him. I told him never to intimidate you or even try to contact you again because you are simply not interested." He moved so our foreheads touched.

"I told him we are together now and that you are mine," he said. "Are you happy with that, Jasper?"

I was more than happy with his statement. "I'm all yours, Edward," I replied and relaxed my body against him.

"Always," we both uttered as one.


	7. Chapter 7

Always

Chapter Seven

**JPOV**

Even before I was properly awake, I knew I'd had too much to drink the previous night. My head was pounding and my mouth felt and tasted awful. After the incident with James, I'd knocked back a lot more drink and vaguely remembered being helped to the car by Edward and Embry. It may have been Sam though. Everything was a little vague this morning.

I rolled over and stretched a little, but my stomach objected. I was about to curl up into a ball, when I sensed I was not alone. As quickly as my spinning head would allow, I turned to see who was sharing my bed with me. My foggy eyes met Edward's concerned emerald ones.

I rapidly tried to work out why he was in bed with me, and for the life of me, I couldn't recall what happened last night or rather the early hours of this morning. Edward obviously understood my dilemma and gave me a knowing sexy smirk.

"Good morning, sweetheart." He smiled and his face lit up. He looked even sexier than normal with his ruffled bed hair. Edward was wearing a t-shirt. My chest was bare, but I could feel my jeans were still on. We'd both slept in some clothing at least, which implied nothing sexual had happened between us.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" he asked and softly stroked his fingers down my cheek.

My words came out gruffly, "Rough... my head is pounding and I feel queasy."

"Well, you did go a little overboard with the drinking last night, Jay. I'll fetch you some water and painkillers." And with that, he peeled himself out of my bed. He was only wearing briefs with his t-shirt. I groaned as I took in his long, muscular legs and his sexy ass.

Edward turned and chuckled. He knew the effect he was having on me.

I slowly sat up in bed as he filled a glass and sorted out some tablets for me. He sat on the bed as I swallowed them down. "Can I get you anything else? You should really eat something soon, Jasper." I shook my head and my head pounded even more.

"I'll give you a few minutes and then I'll make us some tea and toast. You really need to get something inside you, babe."

"Mmm... so true." I smirked back at him and he raised his eyebrows at my double entendre.

"You can't be that ill, if that's all you can think about," he teased.

"Well, it's not often I wake up to find my red hot, sexy boyfriend in my bed," I replied, grinning back at him.

Edward blushed and hesitated for a moment. "Well then, next time I'm here, I hope it isn't because you've had too much to drink."

He seemed a little embarrassed so I changed the subject. "Sorry about last night, Edward. Seeing James in Nineveh City just freaked me out."

"I know, hun... hopefully he won't be a problem anymore. I just wanted to stay here with you to make sure you were all right," Edward said and leaned forward to kiss my cheek. He went to move towards my lips, but I pulled away from him.

"Seriously, Edward, I need to brush my teeth. My mouth feels like a donkey's dick has been in there all night."

Edward let out a cute giggle. "I've never heard that saying before. Lucky old donkey is all I can say." And he continued laughing.

I trudged down the corridor to the bathroom, emptied my bladder, and scrubbed and rinsed my mouth until it felt human and fresh again. I splashed cold water on my face in an attempt to wake up completely.

By the time I returned, Edward had a cup of tea and a plate of lightly buttered toast waiting for me.

"Wow, that was quick work," I praised him enthusiastically.

"If I was a quick worker, hun, we'd both have woken up naked in your bed this morning." He grinned at me, seemingly recovered from his earlier embarrassment.

I nodded, acknowledging the truth. We seemed to be taking ages to get down to some serious loving.

"But I wasn't going to take advantage of you, Jay. As I said last night, I want you for always, not just a bit of drunken fumbling." As he said these words, a warm tingle washed over me.

I moved closer to Edward and snaked my arms around his waist. "Can I have my good morning kiss now?" And without giving him a chance to answer, my lips brushed against his. He hummed his affirmation into my mouth and then his lips started to glide over mine. Our arms tightened around each other as the kiss deepened and our tongues became involved. But I sensed this was as far as we would be going this morning.

When we finally stopped, he reminded me about the cooling toast and tea, and we reluctantly peeled our bodies apart. Sitting on my bed, eating and drinking, we chatted enthusiastically about the day ahead of us.

Once we had finished, Edward kissed me softly again. "I have a special treat planned for us early tomorrow morning, sweetie, as you are treating me today," he said and his sensuous voice washed over me, sending prickles down my spine.

"Mmm... Is it a surprise or are you going to let me in on this?" I asked, drawing circles on his arm with the tip of my finger.

"As you're asking so nicely, I'll put you out of your suspense, Jay. We're going for a trip in a hot-air balloon."

"Really?" I could barely keep my excitement under control. "I've always wanted to do that."

Edward blushed and smiled at me. He looked relieved as well. Perhaps he feared I might be scared of heights or something. But unfortunately this made my choice for this afternoon pale into insignificance.

Edward immediately noticed my sudden change in demeanor. "Hey, babe, what's the matter?"

I shrugged as he pulled me closer to his chest. "Nothing, I guess. It's just that my plans for this afternoon are nowhere near as thrilling as yours."

"Oh, sweetie," he said gently, tilting my face up to his, "whatever we do, it will be special because I'm with you." Just the tone of his voice and a few kind heart-felt words were enough to put me at ease.

My throbbing head had eased a little by the time I headed to the shower. Edward decided to go back to his house to get ready and we planned for me to drive by to collect him in about an hour's time. I had asked him to sort out some sports clothing for the activity I'd planned for later in that afternoon, but I decided not to spoil the surprise and just hoped he'd enjoy what I'd planned for us.

Even though it was the last weekend in September, it was a gloriously warm and sunny day. After checking the forecast yesterday, I decided we could have a picnic in the local park and watch some local musicians perform. So before collecting Edward, I packed several blankets and the finger food I'd purchased the previous day.

When I arrived at the boys' house, only Embry and Sam were up. Edward was still upstairs getting ready so I sat and chatted to them for a few minutes while I waited. Sam seemed so much happier in Embry's company. "Thanks for dancing with Embry last night, Jasper, you saved me the embarrassment."

"No problem," I assured him and felt relieved he was not jealous of Embry's hot routine with me on the dance floor.

"But you can dance with Embry next time, Sam. It's about time you treated your boy to a dance," Edward said as he walked into the room. He wound his arms around me and kissed me firmly on the cheek.

Sam nodded but didn't commit himself either way as he eyed my Edward. A spark of jealously flashed through me with the non-verbal communication that obviously still passed between the two of them.

We said our goodbyes and wished each other an enjoyable day. When Edward implied he would see them tomorrow, I hoped that meant he would be staying the night with me again. I was determined to remain sober so I'd remember everything that passed between us today.

I drove us to the nearby park. We left the picnic hamper in my car and leisurely walked hand in hand in the sunshine along the tree-lined paths and around the impressive lake. We stopped every so often and sat on the strategically placed benches to admire the picturesque views. Passing many other couples and families, we continued in our own private bubble. Occasionally, I would feel unease when I saw a solitary male.

Edward pulled me in for hug after about the fifth time I tensed up. "Jay, what are you so nervous about? It's just you and me here, sweetie. Don't worry about anyone else."

I tried to offer an apologetic smile and make light of my apprehension. Yes, I was nervous about how things would go today for us, but I was more concerned about suddenly bumping into James. What if he ignored Edward's request and had followed us here?

As my eyes drifted from his, Edward gave me a kiss on my forehead, and then said, "Tell me, Jasper, please." The look in his eyes sent a shiver through me.

"I keep thinking I see James. I'm worried he will hurt you, Edward. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me." My heart physically felt like it was in pain with the thought of losing Edward.

Edward pulled me into a closer embrace. "Jasper, as I said last night, James won't bother you again and I can assure you, you'll never lose me." And with that, he kissed me on the mouth tenderly and in full view of everyone around us.

We continued walking, chatting and laughing as we went, and I started to relax a little. We made our way back to the car to collect the blankets and our picnic and then we settled down on the vast expanse of grass in front of a bandstand along with a host of other people. Considering it was such a beautiful day, there weren't as many people as I'd expected to be there.

We'd already started eating our late lunch, when a guitarist began playing on the bandstand. He was, in fact, amazingly talented and the notes from his electric guitar resounded around us as we enjoyed our first proper date together. It may not have been an exhilarating balloon ride, but as Edward said, it didn't matter as long as we were enjoying each other's company.

The guitarist's music was haunting, and as the breeze blew through our hair, I gazed at Edward. With his eyes closed and his face lifted towards the sun, he looked so breathtakingly beautiful I could have watched him all day. It was for only a matter of seconds, but I wanted to capture this glorious moment and wrap it up in a box to keep forever.

We had finished eating when the second act started; this time an acoustic guitar accompanied a female singer. She had a beautiful voice and sang a mix of different covers plus some of her own original songs, many on the theme of lost love. By now, Edward was lying on his back with his head resting in my lap. I idly played with his hair and massaged his scalp as we chatted or just listened to these soulful ballads. We smiled when the lyrics meant something to us and laughed when she sang a cover of _Always_ by Erasure.

"Our song, Jay." Edward beamed at me.

"Mmm... I remember you dancing to this the first night we met."

"The best night of my life," Edward purred. "You do realize how much you mean to mean, Jasper? I've never felt like this about anyone before."

My cheeks flushed. "You're everything to me, too, Edward. And I want a chance to show you how much you mean to me later tonight, if that's all right with you?" I'm sure I blushed a deeper shade of pink.

"As long as you promise to stay sober for me this time," he teased, but underneath I thought he looked a little anxious.

"Talk to me, Edward, please."

His lips parted as if he intended to say something just as the music stopped. We broke eye contact for a few seconds as we joined in the applause that echoed around the park.

A group of good-looking guys came onto the bandstand next and introduced themselves and their music, and our intimate moment was gone. "We'll talk later, Jay, I promise," Edward said, as he sat up and reached for some grapes. He fed a few to me in between popping some into his own mouth.

Gathering up the blanket and the remains of our picnic, we headed back to my car. We passed the first guitar player who was still strumming his guitar quietly a little way from the bandstand. In front of him, spread out on a cloth, were copies of his CD that he had been promoting. We bought two copies, one for each of us, as we'd loved his music and I relished having a physical reminder of our first romantic afternoon together.

"Now for our next activity." I hadn't told Edward about this part of our afternoon yet. "I've booked us in for a wall climbing session in a sports center not far from here."

"Seriously?" Edward asked, "I've always wanted to do that. Thanks, sweetie, but don't we need special clothing of some sort?"

"No, they said we can do it in any clothing which covers our elbows and knees. Do you have that with you?" As I spoke I wondered if Edward would be wearing skin-tight fluorescent pink Lycra. I actually quite liked the idea of my boyfriend wearing such an outfit.

"What are you smirking at, Jay?" Edward asked, amusement spreading across his face. "Are you dying to see me stripped down to my briefs again?"

I shook my head and laughed. "Just picturing what you might be wearing, Edward."

"And pray tell, what vision do you have in your mind?"

"Err... you in skin-tight pink Lycra," I said, trying to keep a straight face.

Edward grinned. "No such luck, babe. Sorry to disappoint you, but actually I do like the sound of that."

We checked into our session at the sports center along with six other guys and then changed into our sports gear. Edward, surprisingly, dressed rather conservatively in a royal blue long-sleeved top and slightly darker jogging pants. As he turned around, I smirked when I saw his top had NSFW emblazoned across the back in silver lettering. I loved his sense of humor.

"Oh wow, Jay, you look so hot." Edward growled at me.

"It's just what I wear when I go jogging," I replied and he raised an eyebrow in response. We made our way into the sports hall and I felt as if his eyes were roving all over my body as he walked behind me.

We sat on wooden benches as our instructors talked us through the various safety procedures and what we could expect from our afternoon session. Being a small group, we would probably make three or four attempts at climbing the different interior rock walls.

The other guys in the group were outwardly macho and heterosexual, and I got the impression they were making snide comments about us to each other. Anger built up inside me, so when I heard a comment about 'Mr Camp' going first, I released my fury at them.

"I would appreciate it if you kept your comments about my boyfriend to yourselves," I barked boldly at them.

The ringleader of the group laughed loudly and sneered, "Who said I was talking about him?" He nodded at Edward. "I was talking about you, fairy gay boy." And he looked directly at me.

His words knocked the wind out of my sails. Edward stepped up close to me and placed a supportive hand at the base of my spine. "It's not worth getting into a conversation with these ignorant people, hun," he whispered into my ear. My mind was still reeling from this guy's statement. I couldn't believe that I was the one who was seen as camp and gay when standing next to Edward.

While all this negative banter was going on, the instructor was getting one of the other guys into his safety harness and giving him words of encouragement as he began to scale the first wall rapidly.

Edward and I held back and let the other guys have their turn first. As we waited, I quizzed Edward about what he had meant. Instead of taking it seriously, Edward started laughing at me. "Honey, you should see the look on your face."

I was becoming exasperated. "What's so funny, Edward?"

"You obviously think I'm the camp and flamboyant one, but you're so obviously gay, too, darling. And I love you just the way you are. I wouldn't change anything about you, Jay."

By the time I was making my way onto the plastic rocky ledge at the top of the climbing wall, I'd calmed down a little. I'd never considered myself as overly camp and always thought I could pass myself off as straight if I ever needed to. I thought about the guys from my halls of residence and Emmett, who had detected that I was gay almost immediately, so there must be something about my persona that gave me away. I would never in a million years have considered myself as outgoing and flamboyant as Edward.

The instructor at the top of the climbing wall told me to wait while we watched Edward scale the wall. He greeted me with a wink and a beautiful smile when he reached the top. I just laughed at him, deciding to relax and be myself. There was nothing I could do to change who I was now and I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my days with this gorgeous man standing before me.

We abseiled down the wall together with Edward giving me words of encouragement all the way because I suddenly felt fearful of the long drop and the angle at which I was perched. Perhaps I was a big wuss after all and needed Edward to look after me more than I realized.

We stayed in the sports hall a little longer to give the homophobic guys a chance to leave the building. The last thing I wanted was an aggressive confrontation with them.

We showered separately and were soon on our way back to Edward's house.

I chatted to Jake and Seth while Edward went upstairs to get dressed for our evening out. I told them about the comments the homophobes had made about me and realized I was still upset. At first, they were considerate and understanding, but then they started teasing and laughing at me. I was seriously having a hard time coming to terms with it all and Edward coming down the stairs dressed in a pink shirt, looking drop-dead gorgeous didn't help my self-confidence. He slipped on a dark gray woolen jacket to match his pants. He looked smart, yet at the same time casual, as he was not wearing a tie and his top buttons were undone. I also noticed that he'd replaced the diamond stud in his ear for a pink gemstone to match his shirt.

Edward waited in the car while I went to my dorm room to change my clothes. I'd spent a while the previous day debating what to wear and now I'd seen Edward's outfit, I was pleased with what I'd chosen. My shirt was a deep purple and my suit was dark charcoal grey. I decided to wear a dark patterned tie, too. As I took a final look in the mirror before I left, I smiled and let out a long calming breath. If I looked overtly gay, I decided I didn't give a damn. I only hoped Edward thought I looked hot and desirable.

I'd chosen a family-run restaurant in a quieter part of the town. The owner made us feel quite welcome from the start and led us to our table in a cozy alcove at the back of the restaurant. A fire crackled in an old brick fireplace and the soft lighting gave the whole place a romantic ambience.

"I'll give you two boys a moment to peruse the menu," she said, smiling kindly. "Can I get you some drinks in the meantime?"

"Would you like some champagne, Jasper? My treat," Edward offered.

I wanted to celebrate our first proper date so I nodded, "Mmm that would be lovely... but just one glass as I'm driving." I looked at Edward and tried to convey my intention of staying sober tonight. I wanted to spend the night with him and not just sleeping.

We had selected our menu choices by the time our champagne arrived.

"Here's to us," I toasted and we clinked our glasses together.

"For always, sunshine." Edward beamed.

After taking a few sips, Edward placed his hand over mine on the table. His thumb made a soft circuit over my warm skin and prickles rippled over my scalp with this wonderful sensation. My body was already anticipating so much more for later that evening.

We recounted the fun we'd had together that afternoon and I asked if I really appeared so obviously gay to everyone around me. Edward replied that I always looked sexy, hot and totally fucking gorgeous to him. He didn't swear often but when he said these words, my cock started to harden immediately.

Our conversation flowed as easily as it always did. We talked about many things, some serious, some more amusing. Everything was just perfect. I'd never felt so happy in my entire life and I told Edward this was how I was feeling. He agreed with me and thanked me for a wonderful day. I wanted to say it wasn't over yet, but something made me hold back from relaying what was on my mind.

At last, Edward broached the subject that I felt he'd been avoiding ever since I'd found out about it. Edward let out a slow breath and taking my hand in his, he started to tell me intimate details about his life. He started by talking about two of his serious boyfriends, Taylor and Sam. As he spoke about his past, I got the impression he was now fearful of sex.

"I met Taylor in Port Angeles during my last year in high school. We'd gone there to play tenpin bowling to celebrate Embry's birthday and during our final game, another group of teenagers took over the adjoining lanes. To cut a long story short, Taylor and I got chatting in between our turns and planned to meet up in the cinema the following weekend."

Edward paused as he contemplated what to tell me next. "We had a few dates before he finally persuaded me to go back to his place. His parents were out and we were soon fumbling with each other. He dropped my trousers and made it obvious that he wanted to fuck me. I panicked and retreated to the corner of his room blubbering like a baby. I told him about the attack on me, saying I didn't think I could ever let anyone take me like that again. He responded angrily by saying that he only topped so there was no point in wasting his time with me anymore. He practically threw me out of his house."

Edward was obviously hurting with his recount of this unpleasant experience. I squeezed his hand in an attempt to offer my sympathy.

"By the time I got home, I was in such a state and told Emmett what had just happened. Being protective of me, he wanted to go and give Taylor a piece of his mind. I stopped him as, in his anger, he probably would have beaten the shit out of him."

I could quite believe Emmett would do that. "And he's been looking out for you ever since?"

Edward nodded and smiled. "He does have the best intentions, but as you know, he doesn't always go about things in the right manner."

"So what happened on the day you were attacked?" I wanted to get this out in the open and put it behind us.

"Do you really want to know?" Edward asked, his voice fearful.

"Only if you are willing to tell me Edward. I don't want you to upset yourself."

He sighed and looked away from me, clearly recalling the fateful day. "I want you to know everything, sweetheart. I just don't want to send you running from me. I don't think I could bear that. It has happened several times with other guys I've been interested in."

"You won't lose me, Edward," I promised. How many times would I have to reassure him of this?

He seemed encouraged by my words and continued. "I used to spend quite a lot of time by myself even though I had many friends in high school. I used to go to this amazing place a few miles from my family home. It's a beautiful, circular meadow in the middle of a forest and hardly anyone knows it's there. In the spring and summer, it's almost magical. Just imagine the long grass sprinkled with white and pale blue flowers, the sound of birds singing and the buzz of insects."

"It sounds wonderful," I agreed with him as I pictured this special place in my mind.

"I used to take a blanket, some books and a picnic, and spent hours just reading or sketching all by myself. But I haven't been there since that day," Edward said, his face sad. "Four guys were hiking when they came across me sunbathing on my blanket. They emptied my rucksack, tore up my sketches and proceeded to tease me. I responded angrily, which only made them react more violently. One guy yanked down my trousers, another spat on my crack and fingered me while the others held me face down. This big fat guy climbed on top of me and tried to ram his short dick up my ass. The pain was intense and I screamed and struggled to break free. I really tried, but he punched me." Tears filled his eyes and all I wanted to do was to hold him in my arms and take away these haunting memories.

"He came over me, Jasper, and I can still hear the revolting grunts he made as he did so. What made it worse was I knew the other men were going to try the same thing. I tried to struggle to get away from them, but they hit me and held me down even harder. I really thought I was going to die that day. I don't remember much about what happened next. My face was being pushed into the soil when I heard a lot of noise and a scuffle. Apparently, Sam, Seth and Jake had been passing nearby and heard my screams. They came to my rescue and chased off the other guys.

"I remember Sam holding and comforting me as I blurted out what had happened. I think Jake used my phone to call my father. I was still clinging to Sam when he arrived with Emmett. After a few hours in hospital and being interviewed by the police, I was finally allowed home. Sam visited me several times over the course of the next few weeks and we became friends. I was invited to the reservation and developed a bond with all the boys there. Sam and I started going out and he helped me overcome the anxiety I felt about my experience. He encouraged me to be myself again and not to hide my sexuality. We kissed and made out, but I just couldn't cope with anything more. Sam understood and accepted this, but it was obvious that we were just destined to be supportive friends rather than lovers. There was no real chemistry between us in that way."

I wanted to disagree as I'd seen how Sam had looked at Edward. However, I was grateful that Edward had unburdened all this and felt that he looked relieved at being able to get through this terrible episode in his life.

"Were those guys ever punished for their crime?" I asked vehemently.

"They all received prison sentences as a result. The first guy is still locked up even now." Edward didn't seem to be gratified by this. "They haven't stopped me being gay, Jasper, but I want you to know that I think I would be very uncomfortable if you asked me to bottom for you. I hope that doesn't put you off me. I should have told you sooner, but I didn't want to risk losing you. I want us to be intimate, but I don't know how far I could go. I might get in a panic again." He was definitely laying his vulnerability out there clearly for me to see.

I tried to reassure him. "Edward, what we have is special and I don't want to lose you either. We can take our time, until you feel ready."

"You must think I'm a great big Nellie." He sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.

"Takes one to know one," I jested and we laughed together.

"I apologize for my flirting the first night we met. It's just my way of getting to know people. I suppose it's a safety barrier of sorts."

Edward's flow was interrupted when the chef came up to our table and asked us if we'd enjoyed our meals. We chatted to him for a while and I settled the bill.

We decided to pass on the coffee as I said I'd make us some when we got back to my place. Edward was a little reticent as we drove along and the minutes ticked by.

I pulled up and parked the car and turned to face Edward. "Are you sure you want to come up to my room?" I asked, giving him the option to leave. "I could always drop you back home, Edward." I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable with me or under any obligation to stay. Perhaps it would be wise to give him a little more time. I would willingly wait until Edward was comfortable with his feelings about this.

Edward spoke quietly. "I want to be alone with you, sweetheart. Just don't expect too much from me." His voice was trembling. He was clearly nervous, his normal bravado replaced by something akin to uncertainty.

I placed my hand over his and squeezed it, hoping to give him some reassurance.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do, Edward. We'll take it slowly and I promise I'll never hurt you. Just say the word and we can stop straight away if you feel uncomfortable."

I recalled my promise to Emmett that I would be gentle with him and kept telling myself I was what Edward needed right now—and forever. We would work through his fear together and overcome it. I had to be the one who was bold and confident even though I was just as uncertain as he seemed. I hoped we'd learn much about each other this evening and in the coming weeks.

I took Edward's hand and led him to the communal kitchen first. I made us a small mug of coffee each, but neither of us sat down at the central table. After a few moments, we made our way to my room. We didn't really drink much of our coffee for as soon as I'd closed and locked my door, Edward took the mug out of my hands and placed them both down on my desk.

Edward wound his arms around my waist and kissed me with his usual confidence. My fingers carded through his straggly copper hair and I held him close to my aching body. Pulling him to my mouth for another kiss, I let his velvety tongue explore my open mouth. Our lips moved almost in slow motion as we relished the fact that we had plenty of time on our hands. We could go as slowly or as quickly as we wished for no one was going to interrupt us this time. Despite my overwhelming desire to strip him naked and attack him, I maintained my self-control.

Peppering kisses along his jaw, I made my way to his ear and ran my tongue around the pink gemstone. Edward responded with an erotic whimper I hadn't heard him make before. Our hands had worked their way under each other's jacket, and we were firmly stroking and gripping up and down the other's back.

Edward pulled back and smiled at me. Then his soft lips kissed from my cheek down to my neck until he traced along my collarbone. He languidly made his way toward the hollow of my throat, the tip of his tongue lapping circles on my skin.

His hands cupped my face and gradually slid down to my neck, his thumbs tracing more soft circles as he went. His long fingers eased under the collar of my jacket and slid it off in a smooth, fluid motion. I helped him off with his and we laid them together across the back of the chair by my desk.

Sitting on the edge of my bed, we paused for a moment. Our breaths came out in short, shaky movements as we took in the sight of each other. Edward looked longingly into my eyes and I'm sure I returned his gaze with equal desire.

Boldly, I let my body sink backwards so I was lying fully on my bed, and as I did so, I tugged at his shirt in an attempt to get him to lie over me. Edward willing joined me and our kissing resumed. After some mutual grinding, he slid to the side of my body. He eased off my lips and he slowly trailed his chin down the center of my chest. He proffered soft kisses over the fabric of my shirt and nipped my protruding nipples with his teeth. He looked up at me through his long lashes. I groaned at the pleasurable sensation and he smiled again.

His hands joined in and traced the planes of my chest, gradually making their way down to the waistband of my pants. My hands skimmed down his back until I was gripping his hips. Boldly, I slid them across the cheeks of his ass and elicited a moan as I massaged him tentatively. I loosened his shirt from his pants, slid one hand up his smooth back and pulled him on top of me for another kiss. I felt his hardness, as I am sure he felt mine, as we thrust against each other again. Our breathing hitched up another notch. We panted and moaned into each other's mouths and our lips continued to mesh. I desired his touch on my cock and I craved his, too, but I decided to let Edward lead the way tonight.

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long. "Jasper, touch me please," he rasped into my mouth.

I flipped him onto his back and started to palm his hardness over his pants. He obviously desired more, thrusting up into my hand as I rubbed over his erection several times. With his head tilted back and his eyes closed, it was a joy to watch my boyfriend fall apart. I made quick work of undoing his pants, slid them open and pulled out his shirt rapidly. My fingers gripped his cock over his briefs and then slid under the material so that now I had him completely in my hand.

"Fuck, Jasper," he hissed and I almost came with the sound of his voice.

I stroked him up and down softly at first, but released him so I could pull his pants down further and push his shirt completely out of the way. As I did so, I caught sight of the sprinkling of stars tattooed across his left hip and leading around to his lower back. I traced over them with my tongue as far as I could without turning him over and then made my way down to the trail of hairs that led to his impressive length. My eyes took in the glorious sight of his toned waist, abs and upper thighs. I wanted to strip him naked but decided that perhaps it would be best to wait until next time to do that.

Bypassing his erection, I teased the inside of his thigh with my tongue. My kisses moved leisurely upwards, the soft texture of his hairs tickling my upper lip. He rotated his hips, giggled, then purred with pleasure and his cocked twitched in front of my face. I breathed in deeply to take in his essence and swirled my tongue over his smooth balls. After several satisfying swipes over him, I licked all the way up to the head of his cock.

"Oh my God, Jasper," he gasped. His hands firmly gripped the bed covers on either side of him.

Smiling to myself, I swirled by tongue around the head and into his slit as I thoroughly moistened the top of his dick. Spurred on by his incoherent murmurings, I took as much of him into my mouth and almost gagged. I pulled off quickly, recovered while giving him a few more licks, before relaxing my throat and diving back onto him. I worked up and down him noisily with my lips and tongue as I set about giving him the best experience of his life. I gripped his buttocks with both hands and squeezed as I plunged over him repeatedly, continually lapping my tongue around the underside of his head.

I knew he was close to coming by the way his breathing hitched and his abs tensed. I shot a look at his face just as his head and shoulders rose off the bed and his glazed eyes stared down at me. His head tilted back and his mouth gaped open with a loud gasp.

"Jasper... God... I'm..." He called out a warning growl as his hips rose and his cock pulsed, shooting warm jizz down my throat. His body continued shuddering as more salty liquid squirted into my mouth. I swallowed some of it, but most dribbled out over my bottom lip and onto my chin. I stroked myself, and with little warning, I came with him into my hand. My head dropped to his thighs as I emptied my load and I came apart over Edward.

Giving myself a few seconds to recover, I returned to his cock and kissed his swollen head, spreading his jizz from my chin back onto his cock. When he became too sensitive for me to continue, Edward pulled me up so I was lying on top of him. We kissed tenderly and Edward sought out my tongue unashamedly as we both came down from out mutual highs.

"Wow, hun, that was so... mmm," he said, between our kisses. "Just amazing, Jasper. And it was so hot that you came too."

We nestled into each other's arms. "Was that okay for you, Edward?" I finally asked. "You didn't mind me squeezing your butt did you?"

He laughed. "No, I didn't mind at all, Jasper. And that blowjob was definitely better than okay."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

**JPOV**

"I thought you said you were going to have a shower?" I asked Edward, grinning down at him. "You know we need to leave in about twenty minutes."

He was lying underneath me on my bed, and I was sitting on him, straddling him. We had both woken in a playful mood.

"I am," he said, sitting up and kissing my neck. "I just want to spend a little more time here," he muttered into my skin. "I want to make the most of our time alone, babe."

His hands stroked down the bare skin on my back, sending tingles of pleasure spiralling through my body.

"Mmm," I almost lost the power of speech as he continued peppering my neck with kisses.

As he pulled back slightly, I looked into his eyes, and he stared back at me. We were silent for a moment or two and the seriousness of our feelings for each other was imparted once more.

I leaned towards him and kissed him deeply.

Edward finally released me and headed to the communal bathroom. I flopped back on the bed relishing the feeling of waking up in Edward's warm strong arms. After the previous night's intimacy, Edward had made every effort to reassure me everything was wonderful. In fact, he said it had turned him on so much that I stroked myself until I came. I had showered to clean myself up and we'd spent time cuddling and talking until we fell asleep. We barely moved and both woke up early, refreshed and happy to be together.

By the time Edward returned from the bathroom, I'd dressed and was almost ready to leave. Edward entered my room wearing a vivid lime green t-shirt under a more sedate grey jacket. He certainly had the knack of choosing eye-catching clothing. His damp copper hair was beautifully calmed for once, that is until he ran his fingers through it several times while I was putting on my shoes.

"It will be considerably colder as we reach a higher altitude, hun. I think we should take an extra jumper and gloves just in case. I've brought some gloves with me, but can I borrow one of your jumpers?"

I smiled at him and pulled out two jumpers from my chest of drawers. I handed Edward my newest and thickest jumper—the one my mother had bought for me in case of snow. It was covered in reindeer motifs and snowflakes.

Edward took it from me with a smile, but raised an eyebrow when he caught a glimpse of the pattern. "You've worn this?" he asked suddenly in a slightly higher pitch.

"Yes." I told a small lie. Well, I'd tried it on just to make sure it fitted me. I had never worn it outside of the house, but Edward didn't need to know that.

With Edward proudly wearing my jumper, we drove out to the meeting place for his treat of the hot-air balloon ride as the sun was rising above the horizon. The light was shining across the clouded sky sending the most beautiful rose-colored patterns dancing through the windscreen.

Pulling into a field, we could see the balloon was already prepared for our flight and, as we parked up, Edward said, "Are you sure you will be all right with the height, babe? You were a little anxious at the top of the climbing wall yesterday."

I hadn't really given it much thought. All I'd cared about was spending time with Edward. "I'm sure I'll be fine, Edward. The basket looks large and sturdy enough." I tried to reassure him. I didn't want him to have wasted all this money for nothing.

We walked over and introduced ourselves to the flight organizer. While Edward chatted away, I took some deep breaths to calm my sudden nerves. I'd expected there to be more people on the trip, but Edward had arranged this special flight for the two of us. I dreaded to think how much it had cost him. Money didn't ever seem to be an issue for him. I decided his family must be reasonably wealthy.

As we stepped onboard, we were greeted warmly and handed a glass of champagne by a young male attendant. I immediately sipped the celebratory drink to calm my increasing nerves, taking in the size of the enormous balloon.

I downed my drink to give me added courage as the balloon started to rise into the air. I gripped the basket's edge and Edward stepped in behind me. Seeing I was nervous, Edward wrapped his arms around me and held me close against his chest. Edward distracted me by nibbling my ear and whispering words of reassurance. I avoided the eyes of the pilot and the flight attendant, trying to pretend we were alone.

"I've got you, babe. You'll be safe, I promise. Just you wait until we get back down, I'm going to do what you did to me last night," he purred quietly into my ear.

I closed my eyes and pictured Edward's lips and mouth pleasuring me. Getting an immediate boner was a definite cure for my fear of heights. I pushed back into Edward and felt he was hard, too. If only we were alone, then we could have joined the mile-high club. I sniggered at the thought, but resisted repeating the idea to Edward. Perhaps I'd tell him later. He nuzzled into the side of my head and he chuckled. I wondered if he could read my mind after all.

Finally, I opened my eyes to risk a peak at the view. The fields beneath swept further below us. My breathing changed again, but not because I was turned on. The wind was whistling around the basket making a lot of noise and, as we rose higher, my head started to spin and I was suddenly gasping for air. I realized I was beginning a panic attack. I needed to step well away from the edge of the basket, so I turned around in Edward's arms. Closing my eyes, I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Jasper, are you okay?" he said, holding me closer. "I can tell them to go down if you're too uncomfortable."

I didn't want that. After all the effort and consideration Edward had shown me, I couldn't hurt him like that. I never wanted to hurt him. Ever.

_For fuck's sake, get a grip, you wimp! _

Edward, seemingly oblivious to the two other people in the basket, continued to talk to me in an attempt to get me to relax and calm down.

Within a few minutes, he had me facing outwards, still with his arms securely fastened around me, but he was getting me to focus on the amazing view. With slow, deep breaths, I started to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings. We could indeed see for miles and miles around us. The clouded sky had given way to a beautiful pale blue, and in the distance, I marveled at the sloping horizon and the natural wonder of our planet. I felt so small and insignificant in the whole scheme of things. I realized what truly mattered was the beautiful man standing behind me. He was my everything now and always would be—no matter what.

Edward stared at me as I absorbed the picturesque view and reached my life-enhancing awakening. He whispered so quietly I wasn't sure if I'd heard him correctly at first, "I love you."

I blinked and waited for him to say it again. I wanted him to say it repeatedly.

He didn't disappoint.

"I love you, Jasper," he said, a little louder this time. "I love you so much."

Even though I was a spineless wimp, afraid of heights—afraid of everything it seemed—Edward still loved me. My heart flipped and a beautiful warm oozed around my body.

I was about to tell Edward I loved him too, when the flight attendant brought over more champagne and bowls of chopped fruit for us to eat. Edward released me as he accepted his and poured some cream over his portion. We stood side by side chomping on the succulent pieces. My mind and heart were still reeling from Edward's words and I was beaming as I shoveled my pieces of fruit into my mouth. Edward saved his last strawberry and fed it to me from his spoon. Some cream ran down my chin and before I could wipe it away, Edward's tongue lapped it up. I wanted to kiss him, but the sound of someone clearing his throat made me pull back a little and wipe my chin with my napkin. Edward smiled cheekily at me and my cock thickened. I cleared my throat as well as a warning for him not to start anything we couldn't finish here.

All too soon, the balloon descended. By now, my fears had completely ebbed away and had been replaced by an overwhelming sense of happiness.

We landed smoothly, and after thanking the pilot, we were driven back to our starting point by the flight attendant.

"Thank you, Edward." I beamed. "Despite my girly behavior, I really enjoyed that."

"My pleasure, sunshine." He grinned back at me. "And I meant what I said."

I hoped he was referring to the fact that he loved me, but I also hoped he was going to spend some time loving on me when we got back to my room. I sincerely hoped Edward meant everything he said to me.

"So where next, hun, your place or mine?" Edward teased.

"Is your house going to be empty?" I asked.

Edward shrugged and shook his head. "Probably not and we can't guarantee not being disturbed. I vote we go to your place. I really want some alone time with you, Jasper."

My knees went weak and my cock pulsed in anticipation. "I think you've decided for us, not that I'm complaining." I smiled at him. Edward definitely seemed less nervous with the idea of our intimacy. If anything, he was being more forward and bold, and I loved how he was confidently flirting with me.

We stopped off at a store to buy some hot chicken and fries as well as some fresh bread and milk to keep us sustained for the rest of the day.

We parked up and approached the entrance door with our arms loaded up. Fortunately, two other guys I recognized went in just before us and held the door as I would have struggled to key in the security code to unlock the door.

"Thanks, man," I offered and smiled at their familiar faces.

"No problem."

I held the door open with my elbow for Edward and we almost tripped over each other as we fell into the entranceway.

"Have you two boys been drinking already?" one of the guys called back to me.

I giggled and shook my head.

"We've had some champagne," Edward reminded me. "And you had a lot more glasses than I did because I was driving."

"I'm not drunk. I'm just happy." I beamed back at him.

We were both high-spirited and bubbly after our exhilarating morning.

We stripped off our outer layers and thick jumpers before settling down on my bed to eat our chicken lunch.

When we had finished, I cleared the plates and was about to take them to the kitchen to wash.

"I'm impressed, hun," Edward said with a cheeky smile. "I must be having some effect on you."

"You certainly are," I said, "and in more ways than one. Won't be long, Edward. Why don't you have a play on my guitar while I rinse these plates?"

When I returned, Edward was playing our song and singing some sweet words to it, too. I closed the door and stood there taking in the perfect sight before me. He looked gorgeous and sounded so wonderful I wanted to show him exactly how I felt about him.

Edward had added some beautiful words to his melody and he sang them with such emotion as he looked at me, I almost melted into the floor. As he finished, he placed the guitar back in its case and held out his hand to me.

"Come here, sweetheart," he said softly.

Without hesitation, I made my way over to the love of my life. I wanted to get both of us naked this afternoon and take our time so we could explore each other's bodies.

Edward shifted over and lay down, pulling me next to him. We wrapped our arms around each other and started kissing. In less than a minute, we became breathless and hot, and started rubbing our stiff cocks together.

"I don't want to come in my pants," I told him.

Edward smiled and murmured against my lips, "I want you to come in my mouth, babe, so I can taste you."

I groaned at the thought and pulled Edward even closer. My hands wandered over his back and buttocks, squeezing and rubbing him. Within moments, he was doing the same to me, and pulling my t-shirt higher to expose my chest to him. He shifted his body so his lips could make contact with my skin and I writhed under him as he sucked and licked his way over my flesh. My fingers carded through his hair or stroked over his arms and shoulders. I felt the need to be in constant contact with him.

Edward eventually eased my t-shirt off completely and I took the opportunity to remove his, too. We both moaned when our bare chests rubbed together for the first time without the barrier of clothing to separate us. We continued to kiss and cuddle and grind against each other for a while, but as we both needed so much more, it was only a matter of time before Edward was running his tongue down the centre of my body en-route to my jeans. He palmed over my cock a few times, before undoing my buttons and releasing my rigid cock. He hummed appreciatively before sliding his tongue over my flesh. I was torn between watching him and just letting my head fall back on the bed with my eyes closed. I wanted to focus on the pleasure he was about to give me, but at the same time I wanted to watch his beautiful face as he made me come.

In the end, I watched as he took my cock into his mouth and our eyes met briefly. He smiled at me for a second, and then focused on bobbing his head over me and taking me to the back of his throat. By now, I was close to coming and surrendered to the intense feelings building up deep inside my core as his tongue swirled around me. I closed my eyes and let my body do what it needed to do. My balls tightened and I felt a flutter over my groin as I began to come. My body twitched with each spasm as my body erupted forcefully and my spunk pulsed out of my throbbing cock into Edward's expectant mouth. I lifted my head and groaned as I released my final few spurts and had to pull Edward away from my now over-sensitive head. I lay there still feeling the effects of my orgasm as he slid up my body and lapped his tongue over my mouth. For a few seconds, I still couldn't respond to his kiss as I was still panting and basking in my sweet aftermath.

"Wow, Edward," I finally said, "that was something else, so... intense." My lips started to respond to his. I tasted and smelt myself on him. I wanted to return the pleasure immediately, but I was still a little overcome with my feelings.

Prolonging our kissing for a while, I rubbed over Edward's hard cock and then slipped my hand inside his loose jeans. I gripped him firmly and brushed over the head, which was peeking out of his underwear. Sliding my hand under the fabric, I took hold of him and stroked up and down. Edward groaned and undid his jeans for me. He shifted them down to his thighs along with his briefs. I pulled them off completely and threw them across my room. I continued to wank him and my cock hardened again. I peppered kisses over his neck and chin before moving downwards and lapped around his hot nipple and belly piercings. I was tempted to take his cock into my mouth, but with his grunts and moans, I knew he was close to his release so I built up the speed of my movements. I shifted back and leaned over him, watching his face as he reached his climax. He looked so beautiful with his eyes closed and his soft lips parted as he panted out little noises of pleasure. His stomach tensed and flexed, and his hips rocked into my hand until at last he called out. His head rose off the bed as he squirted rivulets of come over my hand and his abs and up his chest.

"Fuck... Jasper." Edward exhaled loudly, looking down at the mess he'd made over his chest.

When his head flopped back onto the bed, I leaned over and kissed him roughly while trying not to smear his jizz over my chest at the same time. Edward laughed at me, or rather the way I was holding my hand, trying to keep his jizz from dripping onto my bed. I reached over to grab some tissues from a conveniently placed box and wiped the worst of it off my hand and his chest. Edward thought it was amusing when I grimaced at the soggy mess now in my palm. I dumped it in the bin, washed my hands in the sink, grabbed a flannel and cleaned Edward's chest for him, but was distracted and spent more time flicking my tongue over the piercings in his nipples and belly button.

Edward suddenly went ticklish and I had him squirming and giggling under me. We ended up kissing some more before I settled down and snuggled up to him for a cuddle.

With one arm wrapped around my shoulder, I draped my body and leg over his as we lay there chatting about all sorts. I was relaxed and totally at ease with Edward and he appeared to be just as happy. We were warm and completely content in each other's arms.

I could feel myself starting to doze when Edward's phone burst into life. He scrambled out of bed and scooped up his jeans in an attempt to get to it quickly. I could have bet that it was Emmett interrupting us again, but surprisingly it was Edward's mother.

Edward mouthed 'sorry' as he pulled on his jeans and sat down on the bed with his back resting against the headboard, obviously settling in for a long conversation. I draped myself across his lap, leisurely tracing his sprinkling of star tattoos as he spoke. I thought about making myself scare just in case he wanted some private time with her, but he wrapped his free hand around my waist and pulled me closer to his body, telling me I didn't need to move. I tried not to listen to what they were saying but it wasn't easy. I focused on the timbre of his voice and his mannerisms. He was the same with her as he was with everyone else—natural and so beautiful. I idly wondered what his mother thought of having two gay sons.

I got the impression that she already knew about me and it appeared that Edward was trying to arrange a time when I could meet his parents. We still had to visit my parents and I was looking forward to introducing Edward to my mother. I was certain she would like him.

After about ten or even fifteen minutes, I needed to use the bathroom, so I peeled myself away from Edward's body. Pulling on my jeans and t-shirt, I headed down the hallway to the communal bathroom.

I thought about having a quick shower to clean up as I hadn't showered since the previous evening, but I hadn't brought my wash bag or towels with me so I decided to wait until Edward had gone home.

I used the urinal and was washing my hands when I heard the door to one of the cubicles opening slowly. I was surprised because I thought I'd been alone. The figure moved toward the sink. I glanced up with the intention of catching a quick glimpse in the mirror to see if it was someone I recognized. My eyes focused on the familiar piercing dark eyes and cold fear swept through me.

"James?" I cried almost in disbelief.

"Jasper," he responded, his voice a menacing tone.

Neither of us moved as our gaze was now locked firmly in the mirror.

I tried to face up to him, while hiding my trepidation at the same time.

"How the hell did you get into this building?" I demanded, knowing he needed to key the security number in at the entrance.

"Oh, and it's nice to see you, too, Jasper," he sneered back at me, his top lip curling up.

"What do you want?" I continued, moving fractionally so I could bolt toward the exit.

James stepped forward as well, blocking my escape with his large frame. "I just wanted to see you and have a little chat," he said, calmer now. "Someone kindly held the front door open for me when I said I was one of your boyfriends."

I swallowed around a dry lump in my throat. "What do you want to chat about? I'm with Edward now. I thought he told you that."

"Oh, he did and that's what I wanted to talk to you about, Jasper," he said and another chill ran through me.

I waited for him to continue and prayed Edward wouldn't come looking for me. I didn't want anything to happen to him. Sam and Emmett were nowhere near and my phone was in my room so I had no way of texting them for help.

"You see, Jasper, even if you don't realize it, you're still mine, and a few months apart and your so-called boyfriend can't change that fact. I just need you to understand that."

He had to be delusional and I rapidly tried to think of a way out of this potentially dangerous situation.

"Let me help you make up your mind," James said as he stepped closer to me. I was now backed up against one of the basins with no means of escape that I could see.

"If you don't stop seeing Edward immediately, I will pay a visit to his brother and his friends and—how can I put this?—I only hope they like hospital food."

His face was serious and I would be responsible if something bad happened to any one of them.

"And then if you still need persuading, I'm sure I could have another little chat with Edward when he is on his own."

I knew enough of James to know he would carry out these threats.

"So you're going to go back to your room now and tell your boyfriend it's all over and that you don't want to see him again."

James leaned in close, grabbed me swiftly by the scruff of the neck and kissed me firmly on the mouth. I gasped at his audacity but didn't respond or move my mouth. He tasted of stale alcohol and cigarettes. Pulling away, he smirked, "Do it for me, Jasper."

I made my escape immediately. My first reaction was to think about calling the police as soon as I got to my room, but as I trudged down the corridor, I decided that was a bad idea. James would only talk his way out of the situation and it would probably make the whole matter worse. I had to protect Edward and my friends. I didn't have a clue what I was going to say to Edward, but I knew the next few minutes would be the worst of my life.

I entered my room and Edward was still talking animatedly on the phone to his mother. He sent me an apologetic look, but I avoided his eyes and went over to stand by my desk. I deliberately faced away from him staring at my pinboard as my mind whirred trying to decide my next course of action.

I had absolutely no choice in the matter. This was it—I was going to have to end it with him and I had to do it in a manner that would make him believe everything I was about to say to him. I knew I had very little time to come up with a plausible reason for our break up. After this afternoon's amazing loving, what could I say to him that would make him believe I no longer had any feelings for him?

I ran my fingers idly over my desk and the books scattered untidily on it. I lifted up the cover of one of the books I needed to read before my next lecture. It was then I thought of what I could say to him.

Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I prepared my words carefully before I faced him for what could possibly be the last time.

_Please, Edward, forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. Dear God, I truly hope one day Edward and I will be together again._

Instead of my life flashing before me, I imagined a future place where Edward and I could always be together.

I was suddenly aware that Edward had stopped speaking and I froze.

"Mum, I've got to go now. Jasper needs me," he said so prophetically.

"Jasper?" His voice trembled. "Babe, what's wrong?" He knew even before I turned around to face him. "Have I done something to upset you?"

With a determined and serious look pasted on my face, I slowly turned to confront him. I had to make him believe that this was goodbye.

I drew in a deep, shuddering breath of air. "Edward, I've been thinking. I've got too much work to do. All these books need to be read over the next few days and I've got at least three assignments to complete by Friday," I started.

"Oh, all right. I'll go home early tonight so you can get on with it, then." He looked concerned yet hurt at the same time. He rose off my bed and walked towards me.

I had to tell him before he got too close.

"But it's going to be like this every week until the end of the year," I continued quickly. "I just don't want to fall behind with my assignments and I'm sure it's the same for you."

Edward stopped a few feet in front of me. I could see he was trying to process what I was trying to say to him. "So we get our work done before we see each other or go out anywhere," he suggested, anxiety clearly in his voice, "or we work together in the same room."

"No, Edward," I said firmly, trying not to show any emotion in my face. "I think it would be best if we had a complete break so we can concentrate on our studies. You'd distract me too much. It's over Edward. I don't have time to do this."

Edward blinked and his jaw dropped a little. I'm sure I could feel my heart starting to crack.

"I don't think you're good for me, Edward," I added before he could say anything.

"I'm not good enough for you?" he whispered, sadness washing over his face.

_I love you, Edward. I'm so sorry, _I repeated in my head.

"Jasper, I don't understand. What's brought about this change? We've had a wonderful weekend. We're meant to be together. Please, Jasper, I love you. I need you," he begged. Tears filled his eyes as he reached out his hand towards me.

If I had listened more closely, I'm sure I would have heard my heart break in two.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**JPOV**

All I could hear were the heart-wrenching words spilling from Edward's lips. Despite the tears rolling down his face, he kept speaking. He was not giving up on us. How could I have done this to him... to us?

"Jasper, I don't know what's going through your mind at the moment, but I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you've really had this sudden change of heart," he said shakily but firmly. "I can't believe it's to do with your assignments and reading. I know you can cope with the pressure of work. It's got to be something else." He briskly wiped the tears from his face with the back of his hands.

He was trying to be strong, but I could see he was about to fall to pieces in front of me, and deep down I knew I couldn't do this to him. I wanted to take him in my arms and tell him how sorry I was. I didn't want him to leave me, but after treating him this way, I deserved all the heartache I was going to suffer.

I stood in front of him indecisively, pondering what to do for the best. Should I tell Edward and risk his safety and maybe even his life, or continue with this ridiculous masquerade and suffer the consequences for the rest of my life? Could I be that selfish as to choose the first option?

I obviously let my nonchalant mask slip for a moment and Edward saw the cracks appearing in my story. He was intelligent enough to work out I was giving him a load of bullshit. He knew how I truly felt about him. We'd already promised each other our always. He knew we were soul mates destined to be together forever. Yet I may well have just jeopardized our chance of future happiness.

Edward appeared to be summoning up his strength and fighting back more tears. "Fuck, Jasper, tell me what's really going on. You're not jealous that I was talking to my mother for so long, are you? No, of course you're not. Something must have happened in the bathroom—did someone try it on with you?" He was desperately thinking aloud.

I shook my head, still unsure whether to tell Edward the truth.

"Come on, babe. Please tell me what's going on." Tears continued to roll down his cheeks.

I couldn't bear to hurt Edward any longer and see him in such agony. "James," I said in a hushed voice, "he's down the corridor in the bathroom."

Edward looked shocked as he stared into my eyes. He knew I was telling the truth this time. "And he's threatened to do something to me if you don't go back to him, is that it?" Edward hissed, wiped his eyes with his sleeve, and made his way angrily to the door with clenched fists by his side.

"Edward, please, I don't want you to face him on your own. He's so strong and I don't want you to get hurt. Let's call the police or something," I blurted out.

Edward stopped in his tracks. "I know you're trying to protect me, sweetheart," he said softly now. "Is he still waiting for you to return to him in the bathroom?"

I nodded. "I think so."

"Is he armed with any sort of weapon?"

I shrugged and suddenly felt even more fearful. "I don't know... I didn't see anything. Edward, please don't face him on your own."

Edward thought for a second or two and then dragged his fingers nervously through his hair. "Okay then, just in case he is, and just for you, Jay, I'll call the police and Emmett." He paused as he paced back and forth thinking. "Can you round up some guys from this corridor and get them to keep James in the bathroom until the police or Emmett arrive?"

From the noise coming from different rooms around us, I knew there were quite a few people about, so I agreed and hoped I could find several willing helpers. "I should be able to get at least two or three." I silently prayed the police would arrive promptly and only hoped the situation didn't deteriorate because of my foolish actions.

Edward was picking up his phone as I left my room. I headed in the opposite direction to the bathroom and burst into the kitchen. Fortunately, I found the two guys we'd seen earlier who had held the door open for us. There were also a few others I had chatted to over the past few days including the guy I thought might also be gay. I quickly explained my predicament and, to my relief, they were more than eager to help me. We all made our way to the bathroom just as Emmett and Sam arrived, and before I knew it, they surrounded James and pushed him face down on the floor with one big brute of a guy sitting on top of him holding him firmly in place. The others held his arms and feet as he thrashed about violently.

Things happened quickly after that. The police arrived and I was asked to explain what had happened to a police officer. He wrote down all the details I offered him. While I was talking, James tried to break free of his hold and lashed out at one of the officers. He was immediately handcuffed and led away to the waiting patrol car cursing and shouting obscenities at me and to everyone around him.

I thanked everyone profusely for their assistance and offered to buy all the guys a drink later on in the week. I was desperate to get back to my room to see Edward, but they kept me talking for a while longer. Sam and Emmett had long since disappeared and I hoped they were calming Edward down.

Part 2

Finally making my way back to my room, I felt nervous and embarrassed about facing Edward because I wondered what his reaction to me was going to be. I'd been a total wimp in the hot-air balloon, but my response to James's threats was despicable. I could see that now and I wanted to apologize for my inconsiderate behavior.

To my surprise, instead of Edward, Emmett was now sitting on my bed. I scanned the room, but it was obvious Edward was no longer there. My heart skipped a beat as I took in Emmett's stern look.

"Sam's taken him back to the house," Emmett answered my unspoken question, maintaining the thunderous look on his face.

I had broken my promise to him and hurt Edward by my foolish words and actions. After all this, it looked like I'd lost my Edward anyway.

"Edward explained everything to you then?" I asked, fighting back sudden tears.

"What the hell were you thinking, Jasper? Why didn't you just phone us straight away instead of saying all those things to Edward? Do you know how much you have hurt him? He's so broken now—it will take him ages to get over this." Emmett was visibly shaking with anger.

"I was trying to protect him and all of you," I protested. "Surely he knows I didn't mean all the things I said to him?" My legs felt weak and I thought I was going to throw up, but instead I burst into tears.

Emmett's demeanor didn't change. "He is heartbroken, Jasper. I think you should give him a few days before you try to speak to him again."

"What?" I screeched through my sobs. "I've got to see him today, to make everything right between us again." Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I may not have fought for him earlier, but by God, I was not going to lose him now.

"I don't think he wants to speak to you," Emmett said coolly.

I was determined to see him. "Emmett, I'm going to see him tonight whatever you think he wants." Fuck, why couldn't I have been this forceful with James? Then we wouldn't have been in this whole mess to start with.

"If I take you to see him, you've got to promise me one thing, Jasper."

"What?" I barked at him and rubbed away the wetness dripping from my nose.

"Promise me you'll never, ever hurt him this way again. For fuck's sake, talk to him, Jasper, don't shut him out and try to deal with everything yourself. You're partners, so damn well act like a couple and talk things through."

Emmett was offering good advice. Something I should have thought about earlier this afternoon before all this damage was done.

I eventually persuaded Emmett to let me go back with him to see Edward. He held me tightly for a few minutes and I began to hope that I could repair some of the damage I'd caused.

Emmett drove sedately as if he was purposefully trying to delay our reunion. I completely understood that he was still angry with me and it would take time for him to completely trust me again.

As we entered the house, I expected to receive a cool reception from the other guys, but nothing prepared me for the total lack of warmth I felt as I walked in. Edward had some true friends here who really cared for him and I had jeopardized my friendship with them as well. Only Embry gave me a faint smile. I only hoped I could restore their trust and faith in me over the coming days and that we could become firm friends again in the future. More importantly though, I had to claim my boyfriend back.

"Where's Sam?" Emmett asked as we entered the lounge area.

"He's upstairs with Edward," Jake informed us. "Sam's been in his room for over an hour now and Edward still won't come down." Jake turned and growled at me, "What have you got to say for yourself, Jasper?"

"Leave him alone for now," Emmett intervened. "He's had enough grief from me this evening."

Jake tutted loudly and walked over to Seth, who wrapped his arms around him and kissed him on the side of his head.

"Is it all right if I go up to see Edward?" I asked Emmett, although if he'd refused, I'm sure I would have gone anyway, kicking and screaming if need be.

Emmett nodded, so I made my way to Edward's room taking two stairs at a time.

Part 3

I tapped on the door and opened it cautiously. Sam was sitting on the edge of the bed stroking Edward's hair. He looked up as I entered the room, but only glared at me without saying anything. Edward was lying face down with his arms wrapped around a pillow.

Sam continued running his palm over the back of Edward's head, soothing him. That was my job—I was the one who should have been doing that for him.

I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other when he didn't move away from Edward. I felt the strong urge to pull Sam away from him and scoop Edward up in my arms.

"Can I speak with Edward?" I asked instead, trying to speak as gently as I could manage.

Sam thought for a moment, but didn't leave his side. "Edward, do you want me to leave?" he said, still stroking his hair. "Or do you want me to ask Jasper to leave?"

I felt my heart was in my mouth as we waited for his reply. I don't know what I would have done if Edward asked me to leave.

Edward mumbled something into his pillow and Sam leaned in closer. "Can you repeat that, baby?"

_Baby! What the fuck?_ A surge of jealousy rushed through me.

Edward turned his face sideways so he was facing away from me, but I heard him say, "Can you give us a few minutes, Sam?"

_A few minutes! That won't be enough time. I wanted the rest of my life with him, not a few measly minutes. _Was it Edward's turn to tell me goodbye?

Sam slowly eased himself off Edward's bed and made his way out of the room without saying a word to me, only giving me a look that said, _'don't you dare hurt him anymore'_. He closed the door quietly behind him, leaving us alone at last.

Edward didn't turn to look at me. In fact, he didn't move at all. My heart pounded in my chest as I moved cautiously over to him and perched myself on his bed next to him. I wanted to stroke my hand over him just as Sam had been doing, but I held back for some reason.

Edward's face looked red and blotchy and his eyes were fixed firmly on the wall next to his bed.

"Edward... I'm so sorry," I started, "please forgive me." I wanted to hold him so much.

Edward didn't move or say anything.

"I'm sorry I let you down and hurt you. I didn't have time to think things through properly. I was so scared."

"It was so easy for you to say those things to me. You were going to leave me, Jasper," he murmured.

"Oh, baby, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. I was trying to protect you, Edward. I didn't want anything bad to happen to you." My tears were falling once more.

Edward rolled over towards me so he was lying on his back. He avoided my eyes and stared at the ceiling instead. His hair was totally disheveled and his eyes were puffy and red.

"I'm so sorry," I said again. "Surely you know I didn't mean anything I said to you. I just had to make you believe the story I was telling."

"You wanted to end our relationship. I really thought I'd lost you this afternoon. Do you have any idea how much I'm hurting at the moment, Jasper?" he said and finally turned to look at me.

"I'm hurting, too... I hope you can forgive me because I honestly don't think I could live without you, Edward." I tentatively reached out for him and stroked some hair out of his eyes. I placed my hand on the side of his head and rubbed his temple with my thumb.

"I don't want to go through this ever again," he warned me.

"I promise I'll never hurt you again. You are everything—you are everything to me. I love you so much, Edward."

"You love me?" he said almost in disbelief.

I nodded and smiled at him. "Edward, words can not express how much I love you."

Edward looked deeply into my eyes for a few tender moments.

"So show me how much you love me, Jasper, and that I can trust you," he whispered. "Make me forget about the past. Make love to me."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

**JPOV**

Edward continued to gaze into my eyes as he waited for me to respond to his last words. I was speechless because I'd never dreamed he would ever utter those words to me. Only a few minutes ago, I had feared this was going to be the end for us.

To give me time to process what he had just said to me and what my reaction should be, I leaned closer to him and kissed Edward gently on the lips. He immediately responded by opening his mouth and deepening the kiss. His arms snaked around my waist and pulled me against his body. Did he really think this was my answer and I was going to make love to him here and now?

I was unsure exactly what was going through Edward's mind. I knew I could not and would not take advantage of his vulnerability. We needed more time to talk about this afternoon's events and, as much as I wanted us to make love, I knew we should wait a while yet. We needed more time to get to know each other, emotionally as well as physically, and I was prepared to wait for as long as it took. At the same time, I had to be so careful with my choice of words otherwise he might take them the wrong way. I definitely didn't want to risk hurting Edward's feelings anymore than I had already done today. What I said next to him could make or break our relationship.

I pulled away slightly and rested my forehead against his. Edward seemed desperate to continue and tried to kiss me again. I pulled back further and sat up away from him. Taking Edward's hand in mine, I began to speak softly, "Edward, we need to talk first. Please listen to all I have to say before you react and please, please don't take any of this the wrong way. I love you. I want us to make love soon. I really do, and I'm over the moon that you feel secure enough to ask me to make love to you. But I'm not going to make love to you today to try to prove how much I love you. I want to show you in other ways first that I care for you. I want our relationship to be more than just about sex and I want you to be able to trust me again."

Edward listened intently, his pupils still wide with lust and need, and his breath came out in short gasps.

"Also, I don't want to make love to you with a house full of people who could interrupt us at any moment. I want our first time together to be private and special, with no one eavesdropping. I want us to be able to make a lot of noise." I almost growled the last sentence because it was so true.

Edward had looked disappointed as I began speaking but nodded in agreement, his eyes dropping to my lips. I hoped this wasn't going to an entirely one-sided conversation—he seemed unusually quiet for him. At least he wasn't kicking me out of the door just yet.

"I think we need to talk more about this afternoon and through some of those issues." I changed the course of the conversation and hoped I'd get the chance to finish.

"What exactly did you want to bring up, hun?" he said rather coolly, pulling back a little, his chin pushing up slightly in defiance.

"Edward, you are the love of my life. I honestly believe I have finally found someone I want to spend the rest of my life. We are right for each other and you know me so well already. You knew something wasn't right this afternoon, didn't you? Before I even had a chance to say anything and you kept going until you got the truth out of me. I can't tell you how glad I am that you didn't believe the lies I told."

"But you did lie to me, Jasper," he muttered, his voice edged with sadness.

"That's what I want to talk about—the reason I lied to you. I only had a few moments to make my rash decision. I didn't have time to think it through properly. Don't you realize I'd been caught completely off-guard by James? After we'd had such a wonderful day together, I wasn't expecting to face him in the bathroom. Did you consider how I felt when I saw James and he cornered me in the bathroom, and what went through my mind? I don't think you understand how much fear I felt when I heard James threaten to hurt you and Emmett. I acted out of fear because I wanted to do everything I could to protect you and our friends. Edward, I lied because I was trying to protect the people I love. I had to come up with a plausible excuse to break-up with you, but you saw through it anyway because deep down you know how much I love you. I realize now I've been such a fool. I should've told you the truth straight away and we should have called the police, but I hope you can understand that I did what I did because I didn't want anything to happen to you." I paused to draw breath, gather my thoughts, and to give Edward some time to respond at last.

"I understand that now, babe, but I think it was the words you chose to use that hurt me more than you lying to me." Edward's eyes watered again as he spoke.

"I'm so sorry I said those things. I can't say that enough. The look on your face almost broke my heart as I said them to you." My heart rate increased as I recalled the pain I'd caused him and how I had felt at the thought of us breaking up.

"But _you_ were willing to end our relationship, Jay, and you hurt me even more by trying to break up with me—that I can't understand, sweetheart."

"I didn't want to end our relationship, but I thought it was the only way to protect you." I leaned in to give him a quick kiss to calm him down as I could see he was getting upset again. "Thank you for calling Sam and Emmett and putting them in potential danger for me. I truly appreciate that things could have gone differently, but you didn't know what would happen. You could have put their lives in danger."

"They have always been willing to protect me. Do you really think James would have stood a chance against the two of them?"

I acknowledged he was right. "I know they are well-built and strong, but James could have had a weapon. You didn't know for certain he didn't."

"Well, let's just be grateful that no one ended up in hospital. Is that all you wanted to discuss?" he said, with a look of hope in his beautiful eyes as he stroked my cheek.

I'm sure Edward could almost read my mind. He knew there was more. I braced myself for what I thought would be the trickiest part of our conversation.

"Edward… I know you were upset with the manner and words I chose to try to end our relationship, but… why didn't you stay in your room and wait to see how I was when the whole drama had ended?" I expressed what had truly been bothering me and searched Edward's face for some sign of remorse or understanding. "Did you not think that I needed your support and comfort after facing James? Did you have any idea how I was feeling after I'd been scared out of my mind?"

Edward considered my words and was waiting for me to get everything off my chest in one go.

"I know you were upset, but I was upset too, Edward." I knew I was repeating myself, but I wanted him to understand how I'd been feeling.

The redness in his eyes had faded a little and seemed to be taking on an almost turquoise hue. I tried not to let his beauty distract me. The thought of looking deep into Edward's eyes as we made love flashed through my mind and sent a pleasurable curling sensation fluttering across the pit of my belly.

I reprimanded myself and focused on what I knew I needed to voice.

"You're the strong and supportive one in our relationship and I appear to be the weak girly one," I admitted aloud as boldly as I could.

Edward shook his head, disagreeing with me, but he let me continue.

"Yes, I am, Edward. Look how I behaved in the hot air balloon and at the top of the climbing wall yesterday. You took control, you sorted everything out for me, just as you did this afternoon when I was too scared to face up to James. But then what did you do? You left me all by myself when I probably needed you most. Why didn't you stick around to see how I was?" My voice quivered with emotion as I recalled my feelings from this afternoon. "You fought for me and then you just seemed to give up and disappeared with Sam. What did he say to you? Did you actually try to stick up and defend me or did you let Sam and Emmett persuade you I was in the wrong and no good for you after all?" I finally got everything off my chest that had been bugging me.

Edward closed his eyes for a few brief seconds, and as he opened them, he took in a deep breath. I thought he was going to lose his temper because I'd pushed him too far. His voice came out in a hushed whisper, "Emmett warned me from the start. He said you would break my heart."

Edward's words sent a chill through me. He was going to break up with me after all. And I was going to be the one responsible because of my selfish behavior. I wanted to slap myself for not keeping my thoughts quiet. My heart was pounding in my chest as I awaited his final words to me.

Edward nervously played with my fingers and started to speak, "Jasper, I was the weak one this afternoon not you. I was falling to pieces after all the things you said to me. I couldn't keep it together any longer and I didn't want you to see me so fragile and vulnerable. I want to be strong and there for you, babe. I knew you were safe but didn't have the strength or courage to face you afterwards. I didn't want you to see me like this. I'm so sorry."

"Did you say to Emmett or Sam you didn't want to speak to me?" I asked him because I still felt there was more to this.

"No, I just wanted some time alone to think things through," Edward said cautiously. "Why was that what Emmett said?"

I nodded, not really wanting Edward and Emmett to fall out again over me.

Edward cursed something about Emmett interfering again under his breath that I didn't quite catch.

I didn't feel Emmett was to blame for Edward deserting me this afternoon. He had been with Sam when I entered his room and that was what was truly bothering me now. Sam had been the one comforting Edward when it should have been me. I felt the bile of jealousy rising up again. If we didn't sort this out now, it threatened to become an issue in our future relationship, if we had one.

"So who persuaded you to come back here?" I persisted.

"No one, Jasper. I decided myself. What are you implying?"

"You ran to Sam rather than me. Did you think Sam could comfort you better than I could?"

"Jasper, I didn't run to Sam. He just brought me home." Edward's voice was loud now.

"Well, it looked like he was doing a good job of soothing you," I spat jealously back at him. "If I hadn't walked in, God knows what you two would have been doing by now."

"What the fuck?" Edward shouted, making me jump. "Is that what's making you so mad? You think I still have something going on with Sam and you don't trust me?" His voice sounded angry.

"I want to know the truth, so tell me now, please," I pleaded. "Did he turn you against me? Is that why you didn't stay to see if I was okay or do you feel more for him than you care to admit?" Deep down I knew I was clutching at straws and being totally unreasonable.

Edward growled. "Sam didn't make me do anything. He was there for me in the months after I was attacked. He was the one who stopped me falling apart and going to pieces. He helped me live again. I can't ever forget what he did for me. He showed me affection and kindness and he taught me about the good things in a relationship. And he is still here for me now."

Anger and jealously rolled uncontrollably through my body. "Why don't you go running back to Sam then if he's everything you want?" I snarled and stood up intending to leave for good. "I might as well just go now," I blurted out and my eyes watered immediately.

Edward grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap.

"Jasper, please don't break up with me," he said, holding me firmly in place. "I think you are being unreasonable about Sam. That's how it was before I met you. You have taken Sam's place and my feelings for you are so much more than they ever were or ever will be for Sam. Please believe me, honey. I have no intention of asking Sam to make love to me. I only want you." He leaned in close to my face and kissed my cheek. "Trust me, babe, Sam and Embry have a solid relationship. Sam and I are just friends now," he whispered into the shell of my ear causing a shiver to run down my spine. "I know I've failed you this time, but I promise I will never fail you again."

Our lips met softly at first and probably said so much more about our feelings than any words we could voice. Our tongues touched and slid against the other in a heated frenzy. I could feel Edward's hardening erection against my thigh and I groaned into his mouth as my cock pulsed into life too. It was Edward who eventually pulled away first this time.

"What you did this afternoon proves you love me, Jasper. But I already knew that and you coming here and not giving up on me means more to me than you can imagine. You were willing to end our relationship to protect me even though you knew you would be hurting afterwards. But what still hurts me was that you were prepared to allow me to suffer all alone without you. I'd rather die than live without you. Don't you understand that's how much you mean to me? I don't think you realize this and that's what hurts me the most. You thought I could just carry on and live as if you never existed or ever come into my life. I want you to know how much I need you and love you."

By the time we'd both fully expressed our thoughts and feelings, I was feeling raw yet at the same time loved so much. We held each other tightly and kissed a while longer, resisting taking it any further although we both seemed desperate for more contact.

It was getting late by the time we decided to make our way downstairs. I prepared myself to face the other guys and was pleased that they were all in the living room. At least I could get this out of the way tonight and not have to drag any confrontation out until the following day. They all looked anxious and a little tense, but I didn't experience the chill I'd encountered earlier. They spotted that Edward and I were holding hands and their eyes darted between us as they tried to assess our situation. The fact that Edward was sporting a huge grin also seemed to warm the atmosphere considerably.

I decided to speak first as I felt I owed them all an apology for my behavior. "Emmett, Sam, I want to say thank you for rushing over to protect Edward this afternoon. I really appreciate you risking your own safety for him and tackling James. I'm sorry you had to do that because of me. I hope you can forgive me for hurting Edward."

Emmett came up to me, shaking his head, and gave me a big bear hug, even though my hand remained firmly in Edward's grip. "I'm so glad you two are still together," he said. "Edward would have been insufferable if you'd split up." He beamed at me and playfully punched Edward's upper arm.

Sam looked serious but he acknowledged my apology and magnanimously accepted my thanks. "As I said the other day, you two are meant to be together. Always."

Embry, who was sitting next to him, pulled Sam closer, gave him a kiss and then flashed us a grin. "I'm happy for you both."

"He's not going to get rid of me that easily," I tried to joke.

Riley kept quiet as usual, but Seth and Jake seemed to have come round and appeared relieved that everything had sorted itself out. Jake teased about coming after me if I ever hurt Edward again and deep down I think he meant it.

"Don't see me as the bad guy, please," I said seriously to them all. "I know I lied to Edward, but I did it to protect him as well as you guys. I'm here now and I promise I'm not going to leave him or hurt him again." Edward wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me on the side of my head. He hummed contentedly and I could almost feel his grin.

Before anyone else could speak, Edward announced, "I'm going to drive Jasper back now as it's getting late." He tugged at my arm, pulling me towards the front door. I quickly bid everyone goodnight. They all rolled their eyes and gave us knowing looks. My face flushed with embarrassment, wondering what Edward was thinking. He gave me a gorgeous smile, and my heart and cock lurched towards him.

When we got to his Volvo, Edward wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear, "Jasper, can I spend the night with you? You may not want to make love to me yet, but I want to be with you, sweetheart. And I don't think I can wait any longer."


	11. Chapter 11

**Always**

**Chapter 11**

**JPOV**

_When we got to his Volvo, Edward wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear, "Jasper, can I spend the night with you? You may not want to make love to me yet, but I want to be with you, sweetheart. And I don't think I can wait any longer."_

As he said those words, I made a silent promise to him that before the night was out we would have indeed made love. I loved him. I wanted him. God damn it, I needed him now more than ever. What was the point of waiting any longer?

I responded with a kiss. "I want you to stay the night with me, Edward. I don't want us to wait any longer either."

Edward smiled faintly and then swallowed hard. I tried to relax and not become too anxious at the thought of us lying naked together in my bed. We were both consenting adults who loved each other very much.

Edward obviously sensed my unease and, as we drove along to my place, he told me about the conversation he'd had earlier in the afternoon with his mother. Apparently, she was eager to meet me and he'd arranged for us to visit his family in two week's time. A ripple of nerves fluttered through me, but agreed whole-heartedly to being introduced to his parents.

At the same time, I thought Edward should also meet my family and said I would try to arrange a trip for this coming weekend. I was a little worried about my father's reaction as he'd never taken to James, but I was sure my mother would placate him for me. Plus Edward's exuberant personality would surely win him over in minutes. I was certain they would both accept my first proper boyfriend since my split with James, especially when they saw how serious we were about each other.

While Edward focused on the road ahead, I studied his beautiful profile. I loved the line of his jaw, now peppered with soft, dark stubble. His skin seemed almost iridescent in the light cast by the street and car lights. His tongue peeked out to moisten his succulent lips. He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing clearly in his slender neck. As he blinked, his long eyelashes fluttered gracefully. His eyes were still slightly bloodshot from his crying earlier, which again made me feel guilty for my desperate actions this afternoon.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," I whispered, and leaned over to rest my head on his shoulder.

Edward cradled my head in his arm and replied, "Will you please stop apologizing. Let's forget about this afternoon and concentrate on our time together this evening." He massaged his fingers through my hair. I tilted my head and gave him a soft, butterfly kiss on his chiseled, square jaw.

As we made our way into my hall of residence, Edward looked a little nervous or perhaps anxious would be the right word. We met up with the guys who'd helped us out earlier that afternoon and they delayed us by asking lots more questions. After a few minutes, Edward became a little fidgety, shifting around from one foot to the other and playing with the buttons on his jacket. I was about to wrap up the conversation when he tugged at my sleeve. His hand dropped down to mine softly stroking my skin, and then he linked our little fingers. The other guys soon took the subtle hint and bid us goodnight.

Within moments we were inside my room with the door locked and rapidly shedding our jackets.

Edward's intention was perfectly clear as he directed me towards the bed. He pushed me down firmly so I was lying on my back, then he knelt beside me, his hand immediately finding its way under my t-shirt. Our lips connected as he fervently stroked over my tingling skin.

Not wanting to lie back and let Edward dominate, I sat up and planted kisses on his abs over his t-shirt. Such a simple gesture had Edward gasping hoarsely within seconds. Spurred on by his response to my actions, I pushed up his t-shirt to expose his skin and kissed all over his chest and taut stomach, continually stroking and nuzzling against him. Edward caressed the back of my head, letting out sighs of pleasure even before we had really started anything serious. My lips and tongue followed the line of his tattooed sprinkling of stars towards his hip and back again. "I love this design," I told him for the first time.

While I was still kissing his belly and swirling my tongue around his piercing, I flipped his button and started undoing his jeans. Edward ripped off his t-shirt, exposing his sexy upper body to me. He stroked my arm then gripped my head against him as I undid his zip. He pulled his own briefs down slightly on one side, exposing a little of his smooth butt.

Leaning over me, Edward kissed my skin some more and then he pulled my t-shirt over my head. Pushing me back down onto the bed, he kissed my neck and chest, his hands exploring keenly. Edward rubbed over my throbbing groin and inner thighs, as I in turn snuggled into his neck while he licked and teased my aroused nipples. I squeezed over Edward's firm ass and pushed his briefs down, shifting the fabric to his knees.

Edward kissed me on the mouth while frantically undoing my belt and button. The air was filled with our whimpers and, surprisingly, I didn't care who heard us.

As Edward pulled my jeans down my legs, he managed to drag me along the bed, too. My boots were still on, which stopped my jeans going any further. Edward had to pause to undo the laces. To help him out, I reached up and undid one boot. It must have looked comical with both my legs up in the air and my jeans wrapped around my ankles. It broke our momentum, but at least it gave us a few seconds to calm down. We giggled at ourselves when we realized how desperate we were for each other and that relieved some of the tension.

After pulling off my boots and throwing them on the floor, Edward peeled off a sock and massaged the sole of my foot with his thumbs. Shivers of pleasure ran up my leg to my spine and my cock pulsed with desire for him. I wanted Edward so much. Everything felt so right with him—as if it was always meant to be.

Edward took the sock off my other foot and gripped both feet, holding them high in the air as he continued his sensual massage. While he did so, his eyes swept over my body and up to my face. Our eyes met and I stared intently, trying to impart how much this act of lovemaking meant to me. "I love you," I mouthed to him.

In return, Edward smiled and said, "Love you more."

He positioned himself between my thighs, and with my legs elevated and leaning against his chest, he pulled off my jeans and briefs in one sweeping movement. I wrapped one leg around his hip with the other resting over his calf as he sank down between my thighs and over my body to kiss me.

Kneeling between my thighs, he sat up slightly and took hold of my upright, rigid cock. He gripped the base tightly as his lips slid deliciously over the glistening head.

I used one hand to hold my head up as I watched him twisting his palm up and down my now throbbing length. He licked over my balls and up my cock, massaging a nipple with his other hand. Then, as his head bobbed up and down, he started to gently knead my balls. I felt the need to keep one hand in contact with him, so rested it on his shoulder as he sucked me.

When he eventually pulled off, I sat up and helped him shift his pants and briefs down to his ankles. While I was there facing his groin, I took his heavy cock into my hand and guided it into my mouth. I gripped hold of his thigh to steady myself, and he placed his hand over mine as I slurped up and down his warm, smooth length. His breathless moans only encouraged me to take him deeper towards the back of my throat. As I lifted my hand to stroke over his smooth abs and chest, my thumb caught on his nipple ring and I teasingly flicked it, which earned further groans of delight. He gripped the back of my hair tightly, not meaning to cause pain I'm sure, but it aroused me beyond measure.

"So good, babe," he whispered. "Oh yeah, feels so good."

After several minutes, he eased me onto my back. Edward leisurely licked up the middle of my body from my cock to my lips and took my mouth possessively, flicking out his wet tongue so it danced with mine. "You taste so wonderful, sweetheart. Do you like tasting me?" he purred into my mouth and sucked the tip of my tongue.

"I love the feel of you in my mouth."

Gripping both of our firm cocks in his hand, Edward stroked them both together, leaning over me and kissing me passionately. He rested his head against mine, breathing deeply against my face when he pulled away from my mouth.

"I want you so much, Jasper," he gasped.

Without hesitating, I reached under the bed for my lube and coated his solid cock liberally with it. I rubbed the ends of my fingers over my hole and between my ass cheeks to wipe off the excess liquid.

"I want you to fuck me right now."

Edward took the bottle out of my hands and shook his head. "I'm going to make love to you, Jay. Not just fuck you."

With that, Edward drizzled some lube onto the tips of his fingers and gingerly applied it over me as well. One finger eased tentatively and then started to swirl it around softly to open me up. "You feel so tight, Jasper. Relax for me, hun," he encouraged.

Closing my eyes, I let out a long breath and the tension released from my lower half.

Shifting forward on his knees, he teased my entrance with the head of his cock, sliding it between my cheeks and around my waiting bud. Edward cautiously pushed and circled my hole until he was just inside of me. Patiently and watchful of my reaction, he waited while I expanded and adjusted to his girth. He then pushed in slowly. The slickness from the lube helped to guide him in and I relaxed to accept him fully. When he was completely enclosed, he paused and we both let out a satisfactory sigh of pleasure. Edward's eyes never left mine. He smiled softly down at me. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No, it feels so good," I gasped. "Don't stop."

One of my ankles was supported on his shoulder, the other rested over his thigh. Edward started to glide in and out.

After a few minutes, he gained a firmer, more confident rhythm. We were both humming with the sensations building within us. I stroked my cock languidly, my head resting back into the pillows. Edward grasped my thighs then rubbed one hand over my body as he eagerly rocked his hips. Next, he seized hold of my cock and started jerking me in time with his thrusts. I fully relaxed and succumbed to the ecstasy washing through me. I wanted to watch what he was doing to my body, but I thought if I could see him, I would definitely come immediately. I wanted our first time to last so much longer.

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the sound of our slapping flesh and Edward's muted groans. But wanting desperately to see the look on his face, I gazed up at him. He was becoming hot and sweaty with the exertion. I squeezed my cock to hold back my orgasm as he pummeled into me.

I was pushed further along the bed with each thrust until eventually my head was hanging over the edge. Edward had my ankles clasped in his hands now and my legs were held up in the air—almost in a v shape—as he rammed deeper and deeper. I pushed my hand flat against the wall or reached back to grab the headboard to get some purchase so that he didn't force us both off the side of the bed. The bed frame itself was rocking and squeaking with our frenetic activity and we were definitely making more noise than I knew we should. I expected someone to bang on the wall or door to tell us to keep down the noise, but to be honest I don't think I could have contained my groaning as Edward fucked me harder. I felt relieved we didn't have Edward's brother and housemates listening in on us. I never expected our first time together to be so perfect. I thought it would be awkward, but everything as always seemed so right between us.

Edward's eyes were squeezed shut when I sneaked another look at him. He was flushed, with a light sheen of moisture over his face and heaving chest.

After a time, Edward slowed down and withdrew from me. "Roll over for me, Jasper," he asked and motioned for me to turn onto my side. Getting behind me, he entered me as we spooned. There wasn't a lot of room on my bed for us, but we slotted together effortlessly. He held up my upper thigh while I stroked myself and he lunged rhythmically into me at a relentless pace. "Are you okay, babe?" he asked, nibbling my ear. I nodded my reply to him.

Pulling me closer to him, he eased my head onto the bed so I was almost lying on my back and he leaned in for a lingering, searing kiss. I could taste the sweat collecting on his skin around his lips and his breathing sounded labored as he continued to drive into me.

I was so close to coming. I could feel the tightening deep inside as the unremitting sensations built up steadily.

Edward gave several extra deep thrusts with exceptionally loud accompanying grunts, and at first, I thought he had come inside of me. But as he continued to pound away, he stared intensely into my eyes. I knew from his hooded look that he was very close to his release; his face was bright red and wet and so beautiful. His lips claimed mine once more and, as he slowed, he rested his forehead against my face.

Edward certainly had stamina and knew what to do to elicit maximum pleasure within me. He continued to plunge into me repeatedly without pausing. His hands were still roaming over my body or gripping my cock for me. We clasped hands together over the base of my cock, kissing tenderly when he slowed his pace again.

Wanting to change our positions and to give him a rest, I said, "Do you want me to ride you, Edward?"

"Fuck, yeah," he responded, and flopped onto his back, holding his still thoroughly aroused and rigid cock upright for me to sit on.

I straddled his hips and positioned myself over him, sliding down effortlessly until he was completely inside, even further than before. The new angle of penetration gave different and additional sensations within me.

Within moments, Edward was writhing in pleasure and groaning even louder than before, his hands stroking over my hips as I rode him.

His head rose and fell as his hips thrust up into me, sighing with delight. He gripped my cock and stroked me. I rocked my hips forward and back, with my hands clasped behind my head as I rode him deeply and slowly.

Edward gripped my thighs and exclaimed, "Yeah, that's it. Ride me."

I let myself go, jerking my hips quickly as he thrust up deep inside me

"Oh, yeah," he gasped.

"Fuck, yeah."

He spat on his palm and jerked me off as we both rallied towards the end. As much as I wanted this to last longer, I knew we were on the final run to our release and nothing was going to halt us now. Edward was beyond desperate, his head lifting and dropping as he watched his hand rapidly gliding over my cock and my hips grinding fiercely over his. I placed my hands on his chest and rocked over him faster.

He panted and called out repeatedly. "Oh, yeah," and "Oh, God," as he started to fall apart beneath me.

I beat him to the finish, but only just.

"Yeah, I'm gonna come," I warned him seconds before I blasted my creamy load over his hand and chest. He gripped my thighs harder, encouraging me to rock violently over him.

"I'm coming, Jasper," he yelled, as he lifted me off him and jerked his load over his own chest to join my streams of thick come. "Oh, shit. Oh, yeah," he purred, looking down at our mingling excretions.

I gave a few final strokes of his cock to finish him off and was rewarded with his body twitching and convulsing in its final throes of pleasure.

"Mmm... that was amazing," I said, leaning in to capture his lips with mine. "You enjoyed that, Edward?" I asked softly, already knowing the answer.

"That was awesome," he said breathlessly. His body still juddered with his orgasm.

Edward pulled me closer and kissed me with his mouth opened wide. Stroking the back of my neck and keeping me close to him, he said, "I love you so much, Jay. Promise me you'll never leave me."

I smiled down at him as I uttered my reply. "I love you, too, more than I can say. And I'm yours, Edward, always."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Are you ready to do this, Edward?" I asked as we approached my parents' front door.

"You know I am, sweetheart. I'm a little nervous, but I want to meet the parents of my super sexy boyfriend." Edward smirked, and then sealed his lips over mine. I relaxed into our kiss, not wanting to let him go. "We can do this together," Edward said softly, his forehead resting against my temple. He took my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

It had been a week of firsts for us. On Sunday, we made love for the first time. The following day, I kissed Edward in full view of I don't know how many people at college and held his hand as we walked around the campus together. I also had a serious tete-a-tete with Sam in the cafe. We got a lot of things off our chests as we expressed our feelings for our partners. Sam admitted he thought Edward was gorgeous, that he still cared for him, and probably always would, but he was serious about Embry, whom he felt was the love of his life. The way he talked about him and the look he had in his eyes told me he truly loved Embry, and for the first time, I accepted that Sam had the best intentions towards Edward. I apologized again for my recent actions and my concerns about his true feelings for Edward.

Edward and I saw each other at college during the day and every evening because we couldn't keep apart. All we wanted to do was to be in each other's company. In fact, Edward had thrown a hissy fit when I suggested that he might need or want some time to himself. We made love passionately, even more so than we had done so far, after this little performance. Whatever it was that was going on between us was becoming intense. Our kisses and touches were fuelled by our desire for each other. We could hardly keep our hands off each other. In fact, we were insatiable—we made love whenever we were alone.

I arranged for Edward to meet my parents for the first time at the end of the week. We traveled early Saturday morning, so we would be there in time for lunch.

Edward would charm my mother within moments of meeting her. I was unsure and worried about my father's response, so I was a little surprised when he opened the door to greet us.

"Hello, you two," my father's voice boomed loud and clear, which concerned me immediately. "Come on in."

We stepped into the hallway and were greeted by my mother's proud, smiling face. "Jasper, darling," she said, throwing her arms around me and kissing my cheek. "And this must be your Edward."

Edward offered his breathtaking smile, holding out his hand to my mother. "Mrs. Whitlock, very pleased to meet you." They shook hands and then Edward lifted her hand to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. I think she melted on the spot, and if I didn't know better, I would have thought she had the hots for my boyfriend.

Sir," Edward said more formally, extending his hand to my father. They shook hands firmly and my father even patted Edward on the upper arm. I was a little overwhelmed by their response to him, but put their reaction down to nervousness on their part.

Offering us a welcome drink, we made our way into the kitchen and carried on chatting as my mother scurried around fixing mugs of coffee and a plate of biscuits. We sat around the table discussing our journey, college, Edward's family, plus I recounted how Edward and I got together again. As soon as I mentioned James, the mood in the kitchen changed. My father growled. Edward stiffened and took in a deep breath. Deciding to change the subject, I asked my parents what they had been doing with their newfound freedom since I'd been at college. My mother's blush and quick look to my father told me something I didn't really want to know.

"Okay, I think I'll show Edward around the house now," I said, wanting to get a few moments alone with him.

"Lunch will be in about forty-five minutes, you two," my mother called after us.

Leading Edward by the hand, I showed him the rooms downstairs, before dragging him up to my room.

"Jasper, no," Edward protested as I pushed him back against the closed bedroom door.

"I just want to kiss you," I said, before he could object further, "to say thank you." Placing my mouth firmly over his, he offered up very little resistance.

When we pulled apart, Edward asked, "For what?"

"I think they like you." I giggled as we stood there gazing at each other. He looked gorgeous as usual.

"I don't know why you were so worried in the first place," he said, tapping my nose with his.

I pleaded my innocence. Edward tickled me until I admitted I'd been overly concerned about my father's response to him. We ended up falling onto the bed, somehow entwined together, still giggling and tickling each other.

When we stopped fooling around, Edward was lying on top of me. "I love you, Jasper."

"Love you, too," I replied, seriously now.

"But we haven't got time to do anything naughty," Edward said, giving me a quick peck on the lips. "And I don't think we should under your parents' roof."

"What? You're joking?" I almost squealed. The thought of keeping my hands off Edward for over thirty-six hours seemed an impossible request.

Edward laughed. "We can still kiss and cuddle. And just think, when we get back on Sunday—"

There was a light rap on the door, which had us both sitting bolt upright in an instance.

"Yes? Come in," I croaked, as the door opened.

My father was standing in the doorway with a frown on his face. "Just so you know, your mother prepared the guest room for Edward to sleep in."

"Err… thanks," I replied, trying to hide the boner I was now sporting. "Our bags are still in the car. We'll fetch them and I can show Edward his room."

After my father left, Edward gave me a look that said, 'told you so'.

I shrugged.

Edward took my hand in his. "You didn't honestly expect them to let us sleep together, did you?"

I hadn't really thought much past the initial introductions, but in a way I wished Edward and I could spend the night in the same room.

"It's only for one night and, anyway, we spend most nights apart when we're at college," he said, stroking by hand with his thumb.

"I can't wait for the day when we can spend every night together and I can wake up next to you."

"Me, too." Edward kissed me slowly, his tongue lapping against my own.

Before we went downstairs to collect our bags, Edward became distracted by my bulletin board on the wall next to the door. 'Who's that?" he asked, pointing to a photograph.

"That's Jared, my next door neighbor and one-time best friend," I replied, but not really wanting to get into this conversation just now.

Edward examined the photograph of the two of us more closely. "How long were you together?"

"What? He's straight and was just a friend until we fell out." I tried to pull Edward out of the room, but he wasn't budging.

Edward huffed. "You're kidding me. Look at he way he's staring at you and how close you are."

I didn't want another falling out with Edward, especially over something as trivial as this. "Babe, I assure you, there was nothing between us. He had girlfriends and tried to warn me about James. We fell out after a row because I didn't listen to his advice. I haven't spoken to him for months now. Please, Edward, drop it."

I stroked Edward on the cheek hoping to calm any feelings of jealousy or whatever he was experiencing. "Just asking," he said, his lips forming a sexy pout. I kissed him. We hugged and all seemed right in the world again.

We collected our bags and dropped them off in the correct bedrooms, before making our way back to the kitchen for lunch with my parents. My mother was just placing her home-baked lasagna on the table alongside a large bowl of salad and some freshly baked crispy bread.

"Mmm, that smells delicious, Mrs. Whitlock."

My mother stopped what she was doing and smiled at Edward. "Why thank you, my dear, but please call me Anna."

Edward nodded with a smile and sat down at the table next to me. My parents sat opposite and we all tucked in to a delicious family meal.

"I told Jared you were coming home this weekend when I saw him yesterday," my mother blurted out as she passed the butter. Edward tensed next to me. "And I suggested the four of you go out to the cinema tonight."

"Why would we want to do that?" I hissed at her and my father gave me a surprised look. "I haven't spoken to him for months now."

"Exactly," she said, sitting there looking pleased with herself. "You're all done with James now, so it's about time you two mended your friendship."

"Mom, Edward and I just wanted a quiet night in… with you and Dad," I corrected myself.

"Well, sorry it's too late now, Jasper. When I saw Jared earlier this morning he told me he's bought the tickets and will drive you all there for seven thirty."

I dared a glance at Edward who was looking down at his plate of food. I reached out to touch his thigh to get him to look at me. "Is that okay, Edward?" I asked hesitantly.

He turned towards me, offering a faint smile, " Yes, I'd like to meet your friends, Jasper."

My mother clapped her hands in glee just like Edward did when he was excited. "That's excellent. You'll have a great time I'm sure. You'll love his girlfriend, Alice. She's such a sweet little thing."

The conversation only got worse after that bombshell and I couldn't wait to get away from the table. For some reason, my latest encounter with James was rehashed and had me squirming in my seat. All credit to Edward who kept control of his emotions, but I could tell he was seething just under the surface.

"Oh, Jasper dear, relax or I'll get out all your baby photos to show Edward," my mother chided as my mood obviously became grumpier.

Edward fortunately saved the day by charming my mother and redirecting the conversation so it became more palatable and I managed to avoid saying something I would regret later.

When I was thinking the day couldn't get any worse, my father volunteered himself and Edward to do the washing up after lunch. I guessed this meant he wanted to talk with Edward alone. As my mother decided to dig out the old family photographs after all, I went into the sitting room with her in an attempt to hide any I didn't want Edward to see. We sorted out the albums and boxes of loose photos. Quickly flicking through them, I removed one or two embarrassing ones and hid them under the sofa. At the same time, I worried what my father was saying to Edward, so by the time they brought in a tray laden with coffee and cakes, I was feeling very jittery. I locked eyes with Edward and his beaming smile told me I didn't have anything to worry about.

Surprisingly, we spent a pleasant afternoon chatting and recounting old memories with the help of the photographs. Edward was genuinely fascinated and learned more about my past. I only hoped none of it put him off my family or me. Fortunately, my parents seemed to have taken to him and the conversation was easy and good-humored.

After a tea of sandwiches and more coffee, we got ourselves ready for our date with my ex-best friend and his partner. I didn't get a chance to ask Edward what he had discussed with my father and my nerves concerning how the evening would pan out took over my thoughts.

Jared and Alice knocked on the front door as Edward and I were slipping on our jackets in the hallway. Giving Edward a glance first, I opened the door apprehensively. Jared acted as if the past few months hadn't occurred and introduced Alice to us, and I in turn introduced Edward to them as my boyfriend. There were no hugs or hand shaking. We just nodded and greeted each other politely.

"Good to see you again, Jasper," Jared said, with a genuine smile. "And pleased to meet you, Edward." It was all very cordial.

During the short car journey to the cinema the conversation was surprisingly light and jovial with none of the tension I was expecting. Edward and I rode in the back, sitting closely and holding hands. By the time we were seated in the cinema, Alice's shrill voice and exuberance were beginning to grate on my nerves. Fortunately, Jared and I sat next to each other, with our partners on either side of us, so I was not seated directly beside Alice. Sharing a large bag of popcorn while waiting for the movie to start, Jared began talking more directly to me.

"So Jasper, this is your first time home since starting college?" he said, although it was a rhetorical question.

"Yes, I wanted to visit my parents as well as introduce Edward to them."

"They hadn't met Edward before?"

Shaking my head, I didn't bother answering because he knew the answer. "Where did you meet Alice?"

"Oh, she found me." He grinned.

"We met in the library where I work and I helped Jared find a book he was looking for," Alice chimed.

I feigned shock. "Jared in a library. I didn't know you could read."

"Ha, ha very funny, Jay," he said, and mock punched me on my arm.

The banter continued between us until the movie started. Edward sat quietly, occasionally dipping his hand into the popcorn, as I chatted mostly with Jared and caught up on the latest local gossip, with the odd interjection from Alice.

Midway through the movie, Jared suddenly said he felt hot and a little queasy. A few minutes later, he got out of his seat and headed towards the exit. I looked at Alice, who obviously had no intention of going with him or missing any part of the film, before pausing to glance at Edward. He turned to me and said, "He's your friend, Jasper. Go see if he's okay."

"You don't mind?" I asked.

"No, I'll stay with Alice."

I slipped out of the auditorium and trotted to the main foyer. Jared was sitting down on one of the seats looking decidedly pale.

"Hey, what happened to you?" I asked as I sat down next to him. "Do you feel ill?"

Jared's head fell back against the wall and he closed his eyes. "I came over all hot and funny."

"I'll get you some water. Stay there."

Jared guzzled down half the bottle of water and the color started to return to his cheeks. By the time all the water had gone, he appeared to be over the worst. "Thanks, Jasper. I needed that. Sorry you've missed some of the film because of me."

I didn't want him to feel bad. "No worries. It wasn't very good anyway."

"I was never any good at picking them out, was I? Should have left the choice to you." His expression fell sadly.

I placed my hand on his upper arm. "Hey, Jared, don't feel bad. It's not your fault—the film had lots of rave reviews and I wanted to see it."

"I'm sorry, Jasper." And I knew he meant more than just picking a bad movie for us to watch. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings when I warned you about James. You should have told me to mind my own business."

"I did, if you remember?"

He chuckled. "Yes, but we shouldn't have fallen out because of it. I've missed spending time with you these past few months. We used to have great fun together."

I nodded because it was true. "I've missed my best friend, too." With that, we gave each other a friendly hug. "Let's just forget that ever happened."

He gave me an additional squeeze and appeared reluctant to let go. "Okay, buddy," he said with a smirk on his face.

When we pulled apart Edward was standing in front of us. "Glad to see you two have made up." He looked coolly at Jared. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better now, thanks."

Edward stood there staring at Jared for a few seconds more.

"Where's Alice?" I asked.

"She's still watching the movie. Are you coming back to watch the rest of it?"

I looked at Jared and he nodded. The three of us slipped back into the auditorium, and as we sat down, Edward took my hand and held it until the movie finished about twenty minutes later.

Before returning home, we stopped for a burger and a soft drink. Jared was back to his usual jovial self, and Edward appeared more talkative now. He and Jared got involved in some conversation about Volvos, which left me listening to Alice's spiel on fashion and home furnishings. I tried to listen in on the other conversation while Alice was talking to me. Edward could see I was getting agitated and took my hand in his, stroking it with his thumb. When Edward suggested we head back, I was on my feet in no time at all.

"It's been a fun evening," Jared said. "We'll have to do it again next time you come home."

Edward and I both made some sort of affirmative noise, but didn't commit ourselves to anything definite.

As we left Jared's car, he said, "Good to see you looking happy again, Jasper. Call me sometime."

"I will, Jared. Take care, you two."

We said our goodbyes and walked hand in hand up the driveway. My parents were still watching television in the living room, so we had a quick chat with them before saying goodnight and making our way upstairs.

We went into my bedroom and closed the door quietly. "Hope that wasn't too much of a disaster this evening."

Edward sat down on my bed. He was pensive for a moment and I worried he was going to sulk. "Jared seems like a nice guy. I'm glad you had the chance to sort things out with him."

"The movie wasn't particularly brilliant, though." I kicked off my shoes.

"It was watchable and funny at times," Edward said, fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt. "But I was right about something."

"About what?" I didn't remember him commenting on the film before we went to see it.

"About Jared. It's obvious he wants to be more than friends with you, Jasper." Edward's bottom lip quivered a little and he looked away from me.

Within seconds, I was sitting on the bed next to Edward with my arm around him. "Edward, I disagree with you, but even if he does like me in the way you think, I only want to be with you."

"I know, Jasper, but it won't stop me feeling jealous when you're with him. I don't want to lose you."

I kissed Edward on the side of his head. "I'll only have to see him when you're with me then, so you can keep an eye on us," I teased.

We didn't really discuss much else because I tilted Edward's face towards mine and we started kissing. Slow, gentle kisses rapidly turned to hungry, passionate ones. Edward pulled me on top of him as he fell backward onto my bed, and within moments, I was grinding my hardening cock against his. Edward wove his fingers into the hair at the back of my head and held me tight as we panted into each other's mouths.

"I want you, Jasper," Edward said quietly. "I'll always want you."

I could hear the television in the living room and assumed my parents were still sitting on the sofa downstairs. "We'll have to be quick and quiet," I warned him in a whisper.

"Perhaps if we stand by the door just in case your mom or dad come up the stairs," Edward suggested.

I made my way over to the door pulling Edward by the hand. I dropped my jeans and briefs and left them bunched around my ankles as I faced the door. Edward knelt down behind me. The wet warmth of his tongue left a trail up my thigh. His nose nestled between my cheeks and soon his tongue was lapping around my entrance. My face pushed against my jacket hanging on the back of the door. I clung onto it as Edward moistened and opened me up with the tip of his tongue. His fingers were soon lubed and stretching me as well. Within moments, the bulbous head of his cock pushed slowly into me. He waited, breathing loudly, as I adjusted to him. With a gentle rocking of his hips, Edward sank further inside. After several gentle thrusts and knowing he had to be quick, Edward pushed up harder and deeper. My hand gripped around my solid cock. It was hot, it was passionate and it felt so damn good. It was what we both needed. Biting into the jacket to subdue my cries, I came into my own hand as Edward's orgasm ripped through his quivering body. We stood panting for a few moments, still connected and still leaning against the door, savoring the sensations flowing though us.

On hearing the television being turned off downstairs and my parents moving around, we quickly pulled up our clothing and cleaned up. Giving Edward a quick kiss, I pushed him out of my room, saying I'd be along to say goodnight to him when I knew my parents were in bed.

Coming out of the bathroom a few minutes later, I met my father on the landing. He gave me a knowing look. I'm sure my cheeks and neck were still flushed from my earlier arousal and orgasm, but I tried to act weary. "Goodnight, Dad," I said, opening my bedroom door.

"See you in the morning," he replied, "and make sure you stay in your room all night, Jasper. You don't want to upset your mother, do you?"

I shot into my room, shutting the door in frustration and embarrassment. I sat on my bed and waited for fifteen minutes deciding whether I should defy my father, but in the end, my love for Edward won out. I crept down to his room and very quietly said goodnight to him. We had a sweet, innocent kiss. "Love you, babe," he whispered.

"Love you more," I replied just as quietly, before I slipped back to my room, tiptoeing past their bedroom door, which had been left slightly ajar.

I sighed with relief when I closed my door and hopped into my bed. Yet another night passed when I had to be content with dreams of Edward Cullen.

The following morning, after taking a shower and eating fruit and pancakes for breakfast, I suggested to Edward that I show him the local area. We drove around for twenty minutes or so with me pointing out the key features of my hometown. We had a couple of hours before we needed to get back in time for lunch, so I decided to take him to a local wooded area where I used to go for walks with my parents as a child.

The Firs was a plantation of mostly pine trees with a sawmill at its center and a fast flowing stream to its northern boundary. A roadway led to the mill with lots of paths leading off and going into the surrounding woodland. I took Edward along the main route at first, before taking a detour into the older part of the wood. We walked along hand in hand with the warm autumn sun shining through the gaps in the canopy. I told Edward this had been a favorite place of mine to visit when I was younger and it warmed my heart to be able to share more treasured memories with him. We shuffled through the large leaves that had already fallen to the ground, and climbed up and down an area formed by old tree roots, just like I did when I was a child.

"It's so peaceful here," Edward observed, casting his eyes around us.

I stopped to listen. There was a distant rumble of traffic on the main road and a variety of birds chirping in the trees around us. "I've never really noticed that before," I said. "But I've always felt there was something magical about this place."

Edward smiled at me and wrapped his arms around my neck. I slid my hands into his open jacket and around his back, hugging him close. "I'll take you to my special place when we visit my parents next weekend," he said, and leaned down to kiss me.

I wondered if Edward meant the place where he'd been attacked. "The meadow?"

"Yes, I'd like to show you and remember how it was before—" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes looking deeply into mine. "I haven't been there since, Jasper, but I don't see why I should have to avoid my meadow for the rest of my life. Being there with you will remind me of all the happy times."

I agreed with him that he needed to face whatever fears he still had about that place so he could finally move on.

"And it looks like Sam will be coming with us next weekend as well," Edward said as if trying to gauge my reaction. "He wants to visit Embry and I said he could ride with us to save on fuel. There's no point taking two cars."

"That's okay," I agreed. My fears about Sam wanting Edward had subsided over the last few days. I had to trust the two of them, just as Edward had to trust me with Jared.

We continued walking, chatting comfortably about all sorts when I suddenly remembered to ask Edward what my father had spoken to him about in the kitchen the previous day.

Edward chuckled. 'Oh, you know, what most fathers tell the boyfriends of their loved ones."

"You mean what they say if they have a daughter?" I grimaced.

"Possibly." He smirked. "He told me not to mess you about, or hurt you, or do anything silly."

"Silly?"

Still grinning, Edward said, "Mmm… like getting settled down too quickly. We're young, he said. We have all the time in the world before we make a serious commitment to each other. And anyway, we've only known each other a short time, he reminded me. I told him I was serious about you and had no intention of hurting you, Jasper."

I slowed down as Edward was speaking. "He didn't give you the condom talk as well, did he?" I said, blushing for Edward as well as myself.

Edward nodded. "He was only looking out for his son," Edward said without embarrassment. "Your parents know we are having sex even if they don't allow us to sleep together, Jasper."

I cringed at the thought of my father talking about sex and my relationship with Edward, but as he didn't seem offended or upset by it, I let it pass.

We paused for a rest when we reached the stream on the far side of the wood. "This place is truly magical," Edward enthused. He took in the picturesque scene of running water, glistening pebbles and the lush evergreen foliage. "So peaceful and beautiful." He wrapped his arms around me again, "But not as beautiful as you."

Smiling at his sappiness, I kissed him. As he pulled away, Edward's eyes glanced around us and he was grinning. "So quiet and lonely." He guided me toward a large tree until my back leaned against the cool bark.

With a glint in his eye now, Edward's hand slipped downwards and he began to unbutton my jeans. Gasping at his boldness, I scanned the immediate vicinity. We had seen hardly any other walkers all morning, but I was certain we were not the only people in the woods. As he eased my rapidly hardening cock into his hand, all thoughts of objections slipped from my mind. Edward stroked me firmly. His tongue found mine, and his hot breath against my mouth had me wanting more. Dropping to his knees, Edward guided my cock into his mouth. I was torn between looking at Edward as he sucked me and keeping watch in case we were interrupted. The sight of Edward's open mouth with my cock sliding in and out easily won out. Gripping his head with my fingers, I pushed my hips back and forth to fuck his face. He wide, gorgeous eyes stared up at me as I headed swiftly towards my release. His hands tugged on my hips, eagerly encouraging me to speed up my movement. Once he started humming, the vibrations in his throat sent me rapidly over the edge, and I was coming in strong pulses into his mouth. He licked and swallowed until I emptied my load. Rising to my eye-level, he kissed me with a satisfied grin on his face.

On hearing the sound of a barking dog nearby, I zipped up and we carried on walking beside the stream. "I wonder what's for lunch," Edward said all too innocently, and we both burst out laughing as a couple passed us by.

We made it back to the car without getting distracted again. "You wait until we get back to my room this evening," I jokingly threatened Edward.

"I can hardly wait," Edward said, his eyes shining with delight.

After lunch with my parents, we packed up our belongings and headed out toward the car. Jared happened be on his driveway cleaning his car and came over to say goodbye to us. I kissed my mother and ended up giving my father and Jared a hug. "Don't forget to call me," Jared reminded me again, and I said I would keep in touch with him.

My mother loaded us up with cakes, cookies and a large jar of coffee before kissing and hugging us both goodbye. "Nice to meet you, Edward," she said rather tearfully. "Look after my boy for me."

"Oh, I will," Edward promised her. "Thank you for a lovely weekend, Anna." He shook hands with my father and nodded at Jared. "See you again in a couple of months, Jared."

"I hope you come back sooner that that," my mother scolded us as we got into the car.

As we drove away, we both sighed with relief and grinned at each other. As much as I loved my parents and spending time with them, I was at my happiest when it was just the two of us together.

"Never mind, at least we don't have to do this every week," Edward reminded me. "Although, you will be meeting my parents next weekend."

I had been nervous enough about Edward meeting my parents. I only hoped they accepted me in the way my parents had accepted Edward.


	13. Chapter 13

Always

**Chapter 13**

After a busy but very enjoyable weekend with Edward, I needed to knuckle down and get some work done, especially as the following weekend would be taken up with visiting his parents. I tried not to think about that encounter because every time I did I'd get butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I worried they wouldn't like me and think I wasn't right for their son, or that I would clam up when they spoke to me and I make a right fool of myself in front of them.

My schedule had changed this week to accommodate an additional session on Friday afternoon. I had an assignment I needed to complete to be handed in at the end of the class. Edward and I agreed not to see each other in the evenings so we could both catch up on unfinished work and possibly get ahead with our studying. It was going to be a tough week because we'd spent so much time in each other's company recently. I was relieved we thought the same about this. I didn't want him to think I was trying to avoid him.

We agreed to meet up at college each day for lunch or for coffee when we were both free and made the most of any time we spent together. We held hands and sat closely as we talked, and we always kissed each other when we parted. I was glad we were out and proud now in college and that people around us seemed to accept we were together.

On Thursday, I'd just left Edward's side and was walking to meet Emmett so we could go to our final class together, when I saw a large group of students huddled around four guys in some sort of confrontation. It didn't take me long to realize it was Riley who was in the center of it all. His eyes were wide and his teeth were bared in anger. Whatever was going on, he was on the defensive and not about to back down. Some of the onlookers were egging the aggressors on, while others were calling out for the guys to leave him alone but not really doing anything else to help him. Furious, I pushed into the crowd and stood next to Riley.

"What's going on?" I said to him first before gritting my teeth and shooting a look at the three guys facing us.

"He's a faggot." The largest guy, and obvious ringleader, sneered at Riley. "I saw him kissing another dude the other day.

I glanced at Riley, who was practically growling now. "Well, if you're going to beat him up, you'll have me to deal with as well because I have a boyfriend whom I kiss and fuck!" I roared, stepping closer to Riley in an attempt to show my solidarity with him.

"For God's sake, not another queer!" one of the other guys said. "They're crawling out of the woodwork now."

Several people in the crowd protested at this obnoxious remark. Riley took another step forward, and just as I thought a brawl was about to begin, Emmett lunged through the crowd to stand as a barrier in front of us. The sight of his muscled body and the fact that we were now three against three rattled the would-be attackers. The leader grimaced, and muttering obscenities at us, he walked away with his two lackeys in tow.

Emmett put an arm around Riley. "You okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

Riley nodded and seemed to melt into Emmett's side. "Come on, we need to get to class. Tell me about it as we walk over there."

"Show's over," I barked at the crowd, who were still gaping at us as we moved away.

After class, the three of us went to the college café. I received a genuine smile from Riley as he passed me the coffee and donut he'd bought me as a thank you. In fact, he appeared a totally different guy. The almost permanent scowl he seemed to wear when I was around had softened and he looked the happiest I'd seen him in a long time. He and Emmett sat close together, the earlier homophobic attack not quelling their PDA in the slightest. "Get a room," I teased when they kissed for more than a few seconds.

"Oops, sorry." Riley smirked at me and then pecked Emmett again on the lips.

"No, you're not," Emmett and I said together.

When Emmett went to the bathroom, Riley turned towards me, seriously now. "Thanks for standing with me earlier, Jas." He smiled a little nervously. "Don't know what would have happened if you weren't there to back me up."

I shuddered. If I'd gone to class via a different route, I could be sitting by his hospital bed right now, with Emmett possibly going after these three guys for revenge, perhaps with Edward to back him up. I conjured up dreadful scenarios and what ifs. Life for a gay guy would never be easy when ignorant bullies like that still existed.

Feeling a firm hand on my shoulder, I tensed.

"Hey, babe," Edward said and kissed me on the top of my head. I looked at my beautiful boyfriend and smiled back at him. "You two look a little cozy here together. Where's Emmett?" he asked.

Just as he finished speaking, Emmett returned and sat down next to Riley again. "Hey, bro," he said, giving Edward a high five.

Edward placed himself by my side, taking my hand, and Emmett proceeded to tell him all about our confrontation earlier. He looked concerned, not just for me, but for all three of us. "It's a good job we're here to support each other," Edward said when Emmett had finished speaking. "I hope you reported this." Riley said he had while Emmett and I were in class and the matter was being dealt with.

When I said I needed to leave to complete my assignment for the following day, Edward was reluctant to let go of my hand. "We'll be together all weekend," I reminded him quietly.

Emmett and Riley suddenly became engrossed in each other as I said goodbye to Edward.

He kissed me gently on the lips and stroked my cheek when I pulled away. "I'll be waiting in the parking lot so we can leave immediately after your class tomorrow."

I kissed him again. "Text me later, Ed."

"Don't doubt it, sweetie." He winked at me and smiled, making my knees weaken and my resolve to study crumble.

"Bye, Jay," Emmett and Riley called as I headed towards the door with a rapidly growing bulge in my jeans. God damn it. Being with Edward meant an almost permanent erection.

"Bye, all. See you tomorrow."

Despite having to jerk off before settling down to complete my assignment, I finally finished it around eleven o'clock, just as Edward sent me a text.

_All done for the night. Have you finished yet?_

I quickly replied._ Yep! At last!_

_Missing you. Can't wait until the weekend._

_Looking forward to it._

_Me too. Sleep well, babe xx_

_Night. Love you xxx_

I was itching to call Edward to speak to him, but we'd agreed to keep it to a short text each night, otherwise we'd end up chatting for hours and lose our much-needed sleep.

~0~

Five o'clock on Friday afternoon couldn't come quickly enough for me. The day and classes dragged on, making the week stretch out endlessly. I was nervous about meeting Edward's parents, but couldn't wait to spend time alone with him. I'd missed him despite the distraction of having my nose stuck in a book at any given opportunity. I'd have skipped the last class if I didn't have to hand in my assignment. The lecturer personally took the paper from us and ticked off our names on a list as we did so. I couldn't even have given it to Emmett to hand in on my behalf.

By the time I was walking across the parking lot heading towards Edward's Volvo, I was itching to throw my arms around him and hold him tightly. I wanted to do a lot more than that, but we were in a public place. I spotted Sam first standing by the car waiting with Edward. As I approached them, Edward skipped forward, and scooping me under the armpits, he spun me around, giggling. Sam tutted when we kissed, and then gave an exaggerated cough before we got the hint and pulled apart.

"We'd better go now," Edward whispered in my ear. "I'll say hello properly later."

The three of us climbed into the car, with Sam taking the back seat. He was sharing the journey with us, as he was spending the weekend with Embry, who lived close to Edward's parents.

We all chatted about our week for the first half an hour before Sam eased in his earplugs to his ipod and let his head fall back on the seat. I'm certain he was tactfully giving the two of us time to talk privately.

By the time we arrived, it was dark and Sam was softly snoring in the back. The car pulling to a halt outside Embry's house woke him up. After thanking us and bidding us goodnight, we agreed to join him at the gig Embry and his band were playing at the following evening.

Embry came rushing out of his house before Edward had the chance to pull away. He practically threw himself into Sam's arms, and we coughed and tutted then laughed while they kissed each other in greeting. I loved seeing them together like this. It confirmed once again that I didn't have to fear Sam was still pining for Edward. This is where his heart lay for sure.

"Thanks, guys. See you tomorrow?" Embry asked, bending down to peer at us.

I was already looking forward to it. "Can't wait to hear you sing and play on stage."

As we drove to Edward's house, my hands became clammy and my pulse increased, so by the time we pulled into his driveway, my heart was thumping in my chest. I ran my fingers through my hair, checking I looked okay in the vanity mirror.

"You look fine, honey," Edward assured me, taking hold of my hand. "Just be yourself. They will love you."

We hadn't even made it to the front door before it opened and there stood two figures silhouetted by the light shining behind them from the hallway. I could see in the periphery of my vision that the house was more like a modern mansion, made of timber and huge panes of glass. It screamed money at me. Quickly, my focus returned to the two humans as they stepped forward to greet us.

"Darling," his mother said as she hugged her son. She released him and hugged me just as enthusiastically. "Jasper, so pleased to meet you," she said after she had kissed my cheeks several times.

"This is my mother," Edward said a little belatedly, "and my father. This is Jasper, my boyfriend." As if we didn't know. Deep down, I thought he was nervous as well.

"Esme and Carlisle, if you will," his father said and offered me his hand to shake. "Pleased to meet you, Jasper."

We were ushered into the house and directed towards a magnificent kitchen that could have been a set in a designer magazine. "Wow! This is truly wonderful," I declared, taking in the size and quality of workmanship of this massive room. Grabbing me by the hand, Edward pulled me to a cozier seated area overlooking the floodlit garden. There was already a tray on the coffee table holding glass tumblers and a jug of iced soda, along with a plate of covered sandwiches. Esme poured us all a drink while Carlisle passed the sandwich platter around. I nervously tucked in and knocked back my drink, while Edward and his parents talked about Emmett.

Carlisle and Esme seemed to go out of their way to make we feel welcome and put me at ease. There were no obtrusive questions, the conversation flowing delightfully from the outset. Before long, both Edward and I had relaxed enough for Edward to drape his arm across my shoulder and I played absent-mindedly with his fingers. His parents didn't even flinch.

Later, when we made our way upstairs at bedtime, I wondered if I'd be put in some opulent suite at the other end of the house to Edward.

"This is my room," Edward said as we stood in the doorway of the biggest bedroom I'd ever seen.

"Very nice," was all I said as my eyes darted around the room.

I expected him to show me to my room next, but instead Edward walked in and dropped his bag on the bed. "Which side would you like to sleep?" he said with a grin.

"What?" I whispered. "I don't want to upset your parents."

Edward laughed heartily as he unzipped his bag and started taking out his clothes. "They know you'll be sleeping in here with me and they're perfectly okay with it. So don't worry your little cotton socks, sweetie."

I wanted to object, especially as I'd have to face them at breakfast the following morning. Sure, they probably already knew we were having sex at college, but still, them knowing we were together in their house had me more than a little embarrassed.

All thoughts of objecting vanished, however, as Edward pulled me onto the bed and slid down my body, unzipping my pants before I could even attempt to offer any resistance. And by the time my cock was in his mouth, I really didn't mind where I would be sleeping. The idea of spending two nights in this massive bed with Edward doing wonderful things to me and making me forget my own name, had me coming in no time at all.

~0~

Breakfast the following morning with Esme and Carlisle was nowhere near as awkward as I had imagined it would be. Edward and I were ravenous after making love into the early hours of the morning, albeit very quietly. Even though his parents' bedroom was some way from his, Edward had taken me slowly, trying to avoid making the bed squeak and whispering lovingly into my ear as he came. We'd held each other and talked before making love again, finally falling asleep when we were well and truly sated. We woke early, still in each other's arms, only to start all over again. We'd endured four nights of abstinence, and being in Edward's family home did little to quell our ardor.

Stepping out of the wet room shower, my cheeks were still flushed with color as I caught sight of myself in the mirror, and I didn't think it had anything to do with the hot water. My cheeks reddened again when Esme asked if I'd slept well. I nodded and thanked her without looking her in the eye. Thankfully, Edward and Carlisle quickly moved the conversation on. "So, how are all your housemates then, Edward? Are they keeping the place tidy?"

Edward grumbled about their slovenly ways, but his parents knew he was a perfectionist, so took it all in good heart. "At least you have the gardener and cleaner dropping by weekly. I think that was a wise decision to protect our investment."

I gave Edward a puzzled look. Edward filled in the details of something I didn't know. "We bought the house as a family investment. When we finish college, we will continue to rent it to students, and when we sell it in about twenty or thirty years time, we'll hopefully have made a handsome profit."

I'd wondered how a group of students could afford such a luxurious place. I might have known his parents had funded it for them all. Edward and I had hardly talked about our finances, perhaps that was something we needed to do. I didn't want him to think I was with him for his money, although he probably knew that already.

Edward and I offered to clear away the breakfast things, but Esme shooed us out of the kitchen, saying it wouldn't take her long and we were to enjoy ourselves.

Edward took me on a full tour of his house. I was sure I looked dazed for most of it. This family had some serious wealth behind them. It wasn't until I saw the indoor swimming pool that my jaw finally dropped.

We spent the morning swimming in the large pool, popping in and out of the hot tub and sauna, or sitting on the loungers by the poolside to cool off. By lunchtime, I was well and truly relaxed and ravenous. We ate a sumptuous meal in the kitchen with Esme and Carlisle after we had showered again. She really was an excellent cook. I could see where Edward got his talent from.

"I was thinking of taking Jasper down to the beach for breakfast tomorrow morning, if that's okay?" Edward asked Esme. "If you could pack us up with a basket of food and flasks of coffee and orange juice, that would be good."

"Of course, my dear." Esme smiled at her son. "It's really beautiful around the cove early in the morning, Jasper. You'll love it," she said, looking at me sweetly. She was going to make an awesome mother-in-law one day. In fact, both of Edward's parents were amazing. I loved them already.

"So, Jasper, what do you intend to do once you graduate?" Carlisle asked.

I hoped he was being polite, rather than checking out the potential career of his son's would-be husband. "I haven't decided for sure yet, but history is my passion, so I'd like to pursue that as a career, perhaps branching out into archaeology. I'd like to do something active rather than being stuck in a classroom teaching the subject. I'm certain that would kill it for me."

Edward took my hand and brought it to his lips. "My very own Indiana Jones." Affection oozed from him as he spoke and I wondered what he was picturing in his mind.

"Why don't you take Jasper up to the old settlement at Hansbury. I'm sure he'd be fascinated with its history," Carlisle suggested, looking at his son. "You'll be fine, Edward."

I was a little baffled by Carlisle's last remark, but Edward nodded and smiled at his father. "Yes, I was thinking of showing him my meadow. I need to go back there, and being with Jasper will help. I forgot about the historical connection."

Recalling Edward mentioning his special meadow before, I was eager to see this place for myself.

~0~

As we drove along the track leading through an avenue of old oak trees and into a wooded area, Edward reminded me this was the place where he had been attacked several years ago.

We parked up by a small café and made our way along a narrow dirt path. The few other people we saw headed towards the wider trails that led in a different direction. We steadily climbed the shady track, stepping over fallen branches and pushing aside overgrown shrubs until we finally stepped out into a wide, open space. The late autumn sunlight dazzled us at first. The sprinkling of tiny white flowers within the grass gave the appearance of a light covering of snow. It truly was a special place.

"Oh, this is magical." I gasped at the awesome view before me.

Edward's fingers slipped into mine. "My meadow," he said quietly, his eyes glistening with moisture.

"Oh, babe," I said as I took him in my arms and held him tightly. "I'm here and I promise I won't ever let you go."

"I know, I know," he said, rocking me and squeezing me so hard the air in my lungs left in a loud puff. "I'm with you and those beasts aren't going to ruin the rest of my life. It's time to move on."

When we pulled apart, we continued to wander hand in hand through the meadow making a circuit, ending back where we started. Taking off his jacket, Edward sat down and pulled me with him. He swallowed hard. "This was once a settlement many years ago. Where that ring of trees is used to be a wooden fence to protect the villagers. Can you imagine groups of wooden huts here?"

I pictured what Edward described as he told me more of the history of the area and how Sam, Seth and Jake were descendants of these people. It was fascinating and left me wondering if I could research the history further in the future.

He talked candidly about his boyhood before the attack and the happy times he used to spend here. "One day soon, I want us to come here and for you to make love to me, Jasper." His eyes gleamed as he spoke. "I want to forget them."

"Whenever you feel ready," I said. "There's no rush." I pulled him closer to me and we sat in the sunshine sharing his magical place.

"You don't know how happy you've made me, Jas. I love you so much," he said eventually.

I kissed him after telling him how much he meant to me.

~0~

Deciding to return to Edward's car via a different route, we took a path down the other side of the natural mound.

At the bottom of the hill, there was a wide gulley to collect excess rainwater with a wooden bridge crossing over it. It looked new, being made of strong planks and crossbars. Feeling adventurous all of a sudden, I jumped up and balanced on one of the wide, wooden handrails as if I were a gymnast on a beam. Edward, with a flourish, joined me. Recollecting a similar moment from _Dirty Dancing,_ we started singing and dancing, teasing each other as we twisted and balanced precariously. Showing off, I jumped and landed as if I had just performed an Olympic somersault. Edward actually did a backward flip and made me squeal with fear and excitement. Laughing, we jumped back up again and spent the next twenty minutes gaining in confidence until I managed to somersault off the beam to cheers and praise from Edward. We had a fun time, clapping and jumping for joy after each successful move, Edward's brutal attack not being mentioned again all afternoon.

~0~

Feeling exhilarated from our afternoon's exertions, we flopped on Edward's bed when we got back. The aroma of something spicy and delicious cooking in the oven made me feel hungry. Esme and Carlisle had popped out to visit nearby friends, so we were alone in the house for now. We spent time kissing and rubbing against each other, but feeling weary, we ended up cuddling and falling asleep in each other's arms for half an hour.

When we awoke, we showered and changed for our evening out at the pub. Edward, as always, looked fabulous. "Casual but expensive," he joked, but I now realized that was probably true. Dark, dusky pink jeans topped with a plain white, tight-fitting t-shirt seemed a little understated compared to some of his other outfits, but he looked sexy as hell, and oh, so desirable. Luckily, Esme called us down for our evening meal otherwise I would have pounced on him again.

"You look nice, Jasper dear," she said as we entered the dining room. It was kind of Esme to say so, but we all knew Edward was the looker here.

"You really do, Jasper." Edward confirmed with a kiss and pulled at my top. "I'll have to borrow this t-shirt some time. I love it." And he winked at me, making my knees weaken and my balls tighten.

I sat for most of the meal trying to ignore my throbbing erection and glad I'd worn slightly looser fitting jeans. It was going to be a long night if this was the effect Edward was having on me already. I wondered how long my lust and passion would continue for him, not believing for one moment it would ever fade or die.

Sam and Embry drove by to pick us up on the way to the local pub. Edward had told me earlier it wasn't a gay bar and that there was usually a mix of people in age as well as sexual orientation, all friendly and welcoming. Music was blaring out of the open door and windows as we pulled up. It seemed a popular place, the parking lot already full. Sam managed to grab the last space, beating another driver to it by seconds.

"What time are you guys playing?" Edward asked Embry.

"We've got the nine o'clock slot. We've been booked for two hours, with a fifteen-minute break in the middle."

Pushing through the throng of people, we made it to the bar and ordered our drinks. We stood talking, or rather shouting at each other, over the noise of the band already on stage. I hoped Embry's band would play more my sort of music. I looked around me. Edward was right. The place was filled with a mix of young and old, male and female. It was quite dark and rustic inside, with large solid tables and benches dotted around a small dance floor, and a slightly elevated stage behind it.

A young guy baring a grimace on his face approached Embry and tapped him roughly on the shoulder. Embry greeted him with a worried look, which worsened after the guy shouted something in his ear.

"Fuck it," Embry spat and Sam stepped closer to him.

"What's up?"

"Brett, our keyboard player, has gone down with some sort of stomach bug. He's not coming tonight." Embry looked disappointed as well as anxious. "What the hell are we going to do now?"

Sam and Embry gaped at the other guy as they discussed their options. "We'll just have to cancel," he said finally.

"Edward can play the keyboard," I blurted out before I could think. "He'd be able to back you, I'm sure."

All three guys looked hopefully at him.

"We've never played together," Edward objected, but I could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he'd love to help them out.

"If we explain, the audience will understand, Edward," Sam encouraged him.

Embry nodded and spent the next few minutes persuading Edward it would be fine. "You're a better keyboard player than Brett anyhow," he said, beaming with enthusiasm now.

Once Edward agreed, they spent time talking over the routine and songs Edward could play. They didn't have any sheet music, but we all knew Edward wouldn't need it. He was talented enough and would certainly be able to play most things.

By the time they had set up on stage, I was settled on a stool at the far end of the well-lit bar. I had a good view across the heads of the people seated around the tables. Before the band started to play, I was approached by two girls, who had been standing by the bar giving me flirty glances every now and then. They asked my name and where I was from.

When Edward took his place behind the keyboard, he scanned the room looking for me. He found me and smiled. When he saw the two girls hovering next to me, he shook his head slightly and laughed. I laughed back and the girls followed my eyes, looking toward Edward. "Do you know him?" the blonde one asked.

"Yes, he's my boyfriend," I said, trying to keep a straight face. Without even glancing back at them, I knew their jaws had dropped, and within seconds, they had moved on to their next target.

On hearing the word _boyfriend_, one of the barmen began to take more of an interest. He chatted casually, but from his body signals he was coming on to me. Fortunately, people were still buying drinks, so he didn't get too much time to engage me in conversation. I was too engrossed in watching Edward anyway. His playing was superb and he even backed with vocals. It really sounded great. The audience loved the band and the songs they'd chosen, so much so, that many of them got up and danced in front of the stage. Before the break, Embry announced they'd be doing a few slower numbers and encouraged all the lovebirds to dance along to them.

"Great band," a dark-haired guy now seated next to me commented.

"Yep, fabulous," I agreed.

Unfortunately, he took my response as a come-on and moved his stool nearer to mine. I couldn't believe I'd attracted someone else so quickly.

"Haven't seen you round these parts before." His eyes roamed my body, dwelling far too long on my crotch for my liking. He stank of alcohol and cheap aftershave. Trying my best to ignore him, I focused on Edward as he played and sang. His eyes flitted from mine to the lecherous individual, whose body was gradually getting closer to my side.

When the lights came on to signal the halfway break, Edward's eyes widened and he stormed off the stage. He marched with determination towards me. Even with his hips swaying, Edward looked a force to be reckoned with. I'd come to love jealous, possessive Edward, but didn't really fear for the lecherous guy's safety. He was focused on me rather than that guy.

Without even looking at the would-be interloper, Edward stood between my thighs as I sat on the stool. Wrapping his arms around my shoulders, he kissed me long and hard.

"Mmm… that was thirsty work, babe," he said loudly. I wasn't sure if he was referring to the singing or our kiss. Whatever, he made it perfectly clear that I was his and he was mine. He took a swig of my soda and finally looked at the guy next to us before returning to kiss me again.

Our stance reminded me of our very first kiss in the coffee house. Edward had been standing between my thighs that night, shielding me from James. He pretended we were together to ward him off, just as he was doing tonight. Except this wasn't a pretend kiss. And truth be told, that first kiss wasn't a pretense either.

"You're doing a great job, Edward," I said rather breathlessly, my arms still wrapped around his waist, when he released my lips. "The audience absolutely loved it. You sound amazing together."

Edward beamed. "Embry's asked me to sing a solo in the second half," he said proudly.

"Really?" I was so excited for him. He was in his element.

By the time Edward took his place on the stage again, creepy guy had gone, and the barman and everyone else in the pub had got the message loud and clear. I was with Edward. I doubted if I would be bothered by anyone else for the rest of the evening.

After a couple more popular songs and thanking Edward for helping them out tonight, Embry introduced Edward's solo performance.

There was a hushed quiet as Edward spoke. "I wrote this song a few weeks ago while thinking about the most amazing person in my life." He looked over at me. "We had only just met, but I knew then he was going to be important to me. He means the world to mean now and he always will. I would like to dedicate this song to him."

Even before he started to play, I knew which song it would be. I hadn't heard the completed version yet, but remembered he'd been adding more words to it recently.

"This is our song, Jasper."

Edward's eyes remained focused on me for the entire time. He played the now familiar introduction to the song he had written for me, and as he sang the lyrics, I found it hard to hold back my tears. His words echoed the love he professed for me. They were beautiful, full of genuine emotion and depth. Not that I doubted his feelings, but this song confirmed in my heart that he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

When he glanced down to look at the keys, I swiftly wiped away the moisture from my cheeks. When our eyes connected again, he offered me the sweetest smile. His eyes sparkled with happiness as he finished and the crowed clapped and cheered. I don't think there was a dry eye in the whole place. Edward stood to take a dramatic bow and then his right arm extended towards me as if I should receive applause too.

"I love you," he mouthed to me and then blew me a kiss.

I sent my kiss back to him. "I love you too. Always."

~0~

**Author's Note:**

Well, that's just about it for my lovely boys, although I've still got the epilogue to write. Thank you for taking the journey with me. Hope it's been a good one.


End file.
